


Rev My Engines

by connorssock, OhNoMyBreadsticks



Series: Motorcycle Emptiness [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Aggressive Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Alternate Universe - Bikers, Alternate Universe - Human, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blow Jobs, Car Accidents, Catatonic State (freeform), Childhood Trauma, Cock Cages, Cock Warming, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Withdrawal, Elijah Kamski Being an Asshole, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, Hair-pulling, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Injury, Injury Recovery, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Minor Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Premature Ejaculation, Protective Siblings, Semi-Public Sex, Sexual Inexperience, Shibari, Sick Character, Smut, Trauma, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-04-21 08:15:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 72
Words: 264,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22053658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/connorssock/pseuds/connorssock, https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhNoMyBreadsticks/pseuds/OhNoMyBreadsticks
Summary: Two rival biker gangs - Allen, Hank, and Gavin vs. Sixty, Nines, and Connor - navigating the complex roles of friends, enemies, lovers, and coworkers. Their stories intertwine and overlap as they all attempt to make it to the finish line: finding their own happiness.(Multiple connected storylines updated chapter by chapter.Major triggers already tagged for the entire story, additional warnings/tags will be updated as chapters are added)
Relationships: Captain Allen/CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60, Hank Anderson/Connor, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: Motorcycle Emptiness [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1621258
Comments: 294
Kudos: 229





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Socks and Ohnomybreadsticks are proud to present their very first collaboration! We hope you enjoy our biker AU, because we have a lovely time writing it together C:
> 
> A few notes:
> 
> -Socks is writing the perspectives of Sixty, Nines, and Connor  
-Bready is writing the perspectives of Allen, Gavin, and Nines  
-Allen60 is the main storyline, with established Hankcon and Reed900 storylines coming in later

The sound of the engines hit Allen as soon as he stepped into the garage, and he felt his shoulders relax ever-so-slightly. Something about that hum always relaxed him in a way he couldn't explain. It certainly helped that hearing the sound of other bikes meant he was about to ride out with his gang - as much as none of them were the overly emotional types, Allen privately considered Hank and Gavin to be the closest he had to a family, outside of his team. 

Zipping up his leather jacket, he grabbed the sleek black helmet off its hook and headed over to where his bike was parked. He waved good-naturedly to the other two, who were already seated and waiting, and swung his leg over the seat of his own bike. The engine sprung to life with a purr like a greeting, and Allen relaxed even further into the vibrations of the machine beneath him. Now the evening could begin for real.

Traffic could go and fucking suck it. Sixty weaved between cars, flipped one off that beeped him, and ignored the barely audible peal of laughter from behind him. Probably Connor but it might as well have been Nines. They'd been on the road for 20 minutes now, circling the town, playing leapfrog with each other.

Part of Sixty was on the lookout for the sleek black figures of their so called rivals. They thought they looked so sophisticated and mysterious but, to his eyes, they looked like unimaginative, textbook riders. There was no flair, no personality to them. Unlike his bike and leathers which were a colourful riot - a purple helmet which clashed delightfully with his lime green and purple bike. It matched his brothers only in the sense that Connor had a blue helmet while Nines’ was red. Their bikes were a little more sedate, grey for his twin, black and white for the youngest of the brothers.

Once they were on the road, the relaxation Allen felt morphed into more of an energy that was coursing through his veins. With Gavin racing ahead as usual and Hank behind him, Allen was completely in his element. They did a preliminary sweep across the part of town that belonged to them, making sure nothing was out of place or vandalized, before hitting the road for real.

Traffic was terrible, but that wasn't a problem for the three of them. Weaving between lanes and passing each other as well as the cars on their way, they made an impressive picture all in matching black leather jackets and sleek black bikes. Allen loved it. The feeling of going fast and being in total control of his bike and his body was the ultimate rush. It wasn't  _ quite _ enough to distract his mind from where those tacky siblings were, but, well. They'd see them eventually, it always happened whether he wanted it to or not.

It wasn't that Sixty was looking for trouble but he was certainly not looking to be good. Egging Nines and Connor on was all too easy and their leapfrogging had turned into speeding down the roads, revving the engines of their bikes and tearing around corners at ill-advised speeds. Or the speed would have been that is, if they weren't so used to their bikes, knowing exactly how they behaved at what speeds. Half the fun was pushing their limits.

In the distance he heard the roar of now familiar bikes and revved his engine to drown them out, let the others know that this strip was theirs for tonight.

Allen certainly wasn't a conservative rider, but when he and Hank were out they tended to ride a little more relaxed. Gavin was type to ride ahead, screeching around corners for the fun of it. But the moment he spotted those tacky bikes off in the distance, everything changed. Allen revved his own engine in challenge, raising a hand and waving it forward to motion for the other two to follow him.

Now they were really screaming along the road, Allen leaning forward in his seat to get even more speed. His eyes were locked on Sixty ahead of them, his telltale gaudy colors flashing in between the bland cars on the road. If that little bastard thought his boys were gonna have this strip to themselves, they were sorely mistaken.

The game was on. Allen's crew approached from behind like three Deaths of the apocalypse gone wrong. Except, rather than an end, they brought a sense of thrill. There was a fight to be had, assertion of superiority. Sixty screeched his tyres against the road as he shifted down a gear and pushed his bike to go faster, certain his brothers would be hot on his heels. If Allen wanted a race for the strip, he was damn well getting it.

Every time he was forced to look at the eyesore that was Sixty’s little gang, Allen felt a surge of annoyance. It certainly wasn’t because they were actually a threat when it came to speed, oh no. That definitely wasn’t the case. It must just be the colors and the general attitude that made him grit his teeth as he sped up. And yet...feeling the engine churn as he shifted gears and tore after that lead bike...there was a thrill to the chase, after all! Allen was catching up fast, but not as fast as Gavin, who was already nipping at the heels of the slowest brother.

In the mirror, Sixty could see Nines trailing behind and letting Gavin start to catch up like the flirt he was. No doubt within a minute he would be tearing down the street, enticing Gavin on a merry chase. While the young ones would be off playing, it would leave Sixty and Connor the task of staking a proper claim, perhaps even issuing a challenge in the form of a race.

Admittedly, that was half the fun of their rivalry. The inevitable dick measuring contests they indulged in. The competitive streak riding indulged was happily singing in his chest already. Moving aside, Sixty waited for Connor to pull up alongside him and glanced over, hand up in a countdown. No doubt under his helmet, Connor was grinning like a lunatic. Counting down from three, Sixty hit zero.

Allen rolled his eyes as he watched Gavin catch up to the taller rider and then peel away from the main pack. God, all it took to get that man horny was a pair of long legs and decent engine control, huh? No matter, Allen had his focus on the leader of the pack, watching Sixty as he wove through traffic beside his brother.

His pulse was thundering pleasantly under his skin as he felt Hank pull up just behind and to the right, awaiting orders on what their plan would be. With this sort of a situation, Allen could only assume they'd need to fight out the claim via a race, which suited him just fine. He found the corners of his mouth curling up ever-so-slightly as he kept his eyes trained on the figures just ahead of them, ready to accelerate just as soon as he spotted an opening.

The game was on. Sixty kept an eye on the two riders behind him. Between him and Connor they could keep the road crowded enough so Allen and Hank couldn't pass them even if they might have bikes that had better short term performance. Sixty had always been about the long game though. Endurance and tactics were much more his style over brute force. Though he had nothing against a nice display of power.

Weaving through traffic, the goal was in sight. If he and Connor made it to the junction first, the strip was theirs. Reaching a fist out, he waited for Connor to bump it before they both gunned their engines and went roaring down the home stretch.

Allen caught sight of the junction at the same time, raising his hand and snapping it forward. Hank gunned his engine, pulling right up behind the other two riders in a move that was both distracting and also incredibly dangerous. If anything happened, they’d all be in a pile up. But Allen trusted all of their abilities to a certain degree - if Sixty and his gang weren’t at least competent riders, there wouldn’t be any fun to be had!

With Hank providing the distraction, Allen gunned his own bike into action, leaning low as he came up close to the brothers and then did something incredibly stupid. He hopped the curb, cleverly avoiding Sixty’s attempt at a roadblock, and made a bid to overtake them with one last shot of pure speed.

"Cheater!" Sixty screamed but he was too busy accelerating and cutting Allen off from getting back on the road to wave his arms. If Allen wanted to play beyond dirty then it was all his fault whatever happened.

Screaming down the road, Sixty pushed his bike to the limit, all too aware of Allen on his side. The junction was approaching, he should be braking but Allen was still speeding next to him. It was a game of chicken and Sixty refused to lose.

Allen was cackling inside his helmet as he heard Sixty shriek. He couldn’t hear what he actually yelled, but the satisfaction of hearing the noise was enough. Was it enough to balance the insane amount of stress Allen was suddenly under because he was  _ on the sidewalk _ ? Yeah probably. Any time he could get Sixty to freak out was a victory in Allen’s books.

Now though, he was being forced to dodge trees and other sidewalk dangers, since the other rider wasn’t going to let him back into the street. Which, fair enough, this was a race. And as determined as Sixty was to win, Allen was determined to match him there. He had no intention of braking just yet, not with victory in sight.

There was a challenge then there was sheer stupidity. Sixty slammed on his brakes and gritted his teeth as he almost careened over the line into the junction and oncoming traffic. Almost scared to look to his side in case Allen wasn't quick enough to brake, he glanced behind him first. Connor was pulled up at the side of the road, tense as hell while Hank was a solid shoulder to lean against next to him. Finally, Sixty's eyes strayed to Allen who was lounging against his bike.

"You fucking idiot!" he screamed, whipping his helmet off. "Are you so desperate in your neanderthal dick swinging contest that you'd die for it? Fine! Have this fucking strip for tonight, but I take the moral victory."

He motioned for Connor to move it. They were going for a drink, Nines could find them later.

Allen only managed to stop his bike at the cost of quite a bit of his brakes, the smell of burning rubber evident as he popped his helmet off and swung off the bike. His legs were shaking slightly from the adrenaline and the healthy dose of legitimate fear, so he lounged back against his bike, crossing his arms lazily to create a better picture. Fuck, that had been a bit close.

Seeing Sixty all upset was making up for it though. Allen chuckled, replying “Aw, sorry Sixty, I forgot we were going a bit fast for you. Or were you just worried about lil ol’ me?” He shot a wink the other man’s way, just because he knew that would annoy him. Allen couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the concept of a ‘moral victory’. What a fucking joke.

"The only time anyone ever worried about you was when the condom split," Sixty hissed and jammed his helmet back on.

Pissed and fuming he straddled his bike again and gestured for Connor to hurry the fuck up. He needed a drink and was waiting for no one.

That made Allen full on laugh, head thrown back and shoulders shaking. He’d really pissed the guy off, huh? “Have fun with your moral victory!” He called after Sixty, although his jab was lost in the roar of his and Connor’s engines.

As Hank approached, no doubt with a lecture in hand, Allen raised his hands in defense and said “drinks on me tonight, alright? I need a stiff one after that.” It didn’t get him out of the lecture, but he liked to think it shortened the duration, as Hank was also eager to head to the nearest bar.

* * *

It took Nines over an hour to find them. Just looking at him pissed Sixty off even more, with his disheveled hair and laxness from a hurried, no doubt semi-public hard fuck in a dirty alley. Fraternising with the enemy. So was Connor for that matter. At least Sixty had some standards. Watching Nines slide into the booth, he snarled and pushed away.

"I'll get the drinks," he growled. Even if it meant spending money, it would give him a few minutes away from his brothers who were high-fiving over the table.

The bar was bustling, he fought to get to the front and get the attention of a bartender. Someone jostled his elbow and he turned, ready to snap.

Allen had Hank shoot Gavin a text letting them know which bar they were headed to, because he didn’t trust him to have a clear enough head after getting off to find them on his own. The last thing they needed was Gavin whining about how they ‘left him behind’ when the truth was he couldn’t stop thinking with his dick for more than thirty seconds. 

Allen waved Gavin over to their table when he entered, intentionally ignoring the hickey very obviously riding up over his jacket. “I’m buying this round, but then you owe us for ditching on the race.” He announced, giving Gavin a hard stare before he turned to leave. To his credit, Gavin only complained for a few seconds before Hank punched him in the shoulder and told him to knock it off.

Allen was still buzzing off the high of the race, and not even Gavin could dim that. He was grinning good-naturedly as he sidled up to the bar and wedged himself between several other patrons. Being bulky had its benefits in this case, although it did often lead to situations just like this, where he ended up elbowing someone. Allen turned to apologize and instead his grin turned wolfish. “Fancy meeting you here”

The unfriendly snarl Sixty had prepared morphed into a sickly sweet smile.

"Can't keep off my strip and now trying to take over my bar," his voice dropped with sarcastic coyness. "Though I do believe I owe you an apology. I was wrong when I said the only time anyone worried about you was when the condom split. Upon reflection, I realise now that you should have been a stain on your mother's chin."

Satisfied, he turned back to the bar, just slightly in front of Allen as it should have been in the race too.

Allen felt a twinge of genuine annoyance at that jab. Usually he considered Sixty to be on the level of a yappy little dog, just making noise because he was insecure. But Allen wasn’t about to sit around and let someone insult his mom like that. He raised an eyebrow at the weirdly seductive pose Sixty had struck, and leaned in as well to match him.

“You seem pretty obsessed with thinking about my parents fucking...you looking for a daddy or something?” Allen teased, snickering as he raised an eyebrow at Sixty. He knew he should have just let this go - he had the victory after all, but he couldn’t resist.

That was a step too far. Ignoring the bartender, Sixty gripped the back of Allen's neck and bodily hauled him out the back door into the dark alley. The door clanged shut behind them, locking the noise of the bar out.

"If you're not careful, I'll put you over my knees and spank you. Then we'll see about who has daddy issues," he spat and shoved Allen against the wall hard, following him and mashing their lips together.

"All I could see was your stupid piece of shit bike mangled at the junction because you didn't stop." He growled between messy kisses, a hand fisting Allen's hair and tilting his head up. "How dare you be this fucking dumb? Risking your life over a race like that, you stupid piece of shit." Perhaps his berating would have been more effective if it wasn't broken up with kisses and bites to Allen's stupid jaw.

When Sixty suddenly grabbed him and hauled him out into the alley, Allen had to fight to repress his natural instincts. All of his training told him to fight back and slam the attacker down to the ground before this could escalate further. Luckily, the atmosphere of the bar was distinct enough that he managed to hold off, instead just letting Sixty manhandle him into the wall.

As he started his rant, Allen opened his mouth to retort, and suddenly...had an entire mouthful of Sixty instead. He didn’t stay surprised for too long, hands clamping down on the other man’s hips to pull them flush together, returning the kiss with some enthusiasm. Allen wasn’t above admitting this was hot as hell, and there had always been something about Sixty that had made him wonder...

“Didn’t think you were worried about me, Sixty” Allen purred as soon as he had the breath to do so, “Maybe it was dumb, but this ain’t exactly smart.” He punctuated his statement by leaning in to nip at Sixty’s lip.

"Shut up and either get your trousers loose or get the fuck back in the bar," Sixty snarled between kisses that were turning into more bruising clashes of lips and teeth than anything else. "And I don't care for you. I just don't want to break anyone else in as a rival when you're just about done learning your place."

He spun Allen around, pressed bodily against him, teeth clamping against his neck.

"I don't like you," he hissed in Allen's ear even as a hand was working the other man's trousers open and reaching in them to grip his cock just shy of too hard. "And I don't care for you. This is a hate fuck to remind you of your place, is that clear?"

To emphasise his words, he rocked his hard cock up against Allen's backside, keeping a groan tight in his throat and not letting it work its way out into a proper sound.

Allen's derisive snort at Sixty's denial turned into a barely contained moan as he was spun around and bitten. He had always pinned the other man as a kinky fucker (hell, his brother was weird enough to be into Gavin), but this was like a floodgate opening. But just because he was hard didn't mean he was going to quietly submit to being Sixty's bitch here.

"What's clear is you talk too fuckin' much." Allen grit out, twisting his hips to grind deliciously against Sixty's cock on his ass, "You gonna get your dick out or are you just planning to run your mouth?" He had planted his hands firmly on the wall when Sixty spun them to brace them both, and had no intention of helping with the pants situation at all. If Sixty wanted to fuck him, he could deal with his jeans and briefs himself.

"You just wish you were good enough to shut me up," Sixty bit back. His hands shoved roughly at Allen's leathers until they were around his knees.

From there it was easy enough to plaster his chest against Allen's back and crowd him against the wall, reaching around to get a good grip on his dick and harshly jerk it.

"You going to come for me like the good little bitch you are?" he taunted, leaving bite marks on the back and side of Allen's neck.

Allen was seething at Sixty’s attitude, but he was at quite a disadvantage at this point. Sixty’s hand on his cock was just on the right edge of painful, as dry and harsh as the grip was, and Allen was still keyed up from the earlier adrenaline. 

“I’m nobody’s bitch.” Allen spat out, but the effect was somewhat lost with the hitch in his breath as Sixty’s hand squeezed just right. He muttered a few more curses under his breath as his hips stuttered awkwardly, already feeling close to that edge.

"Uhuh, look me in the eyes when you tell me that," Sixty purred in his ear. He was grinding his clothed cock against Allen, enjoying the shivers of pleasure it sent through him.

He knew Allen was close, could feel him tensing up. In a way, Sixty was both pleased and annoyed their little game was coming to an end so quickly. At the last moment, as Allen finally relented to the impending orgasm, he angled his cock down, letting the hot spurts land on his leg and clothes in a disgusting mess.

Satisfied, Sixty let go, happy that there was no evidence of what they'd been up to on him. Patting Allen's ass condescendingly, he grinned.

"Good little bitch."

With that, he sauntered back around to the front of the bar, his own cock still hard but it went ignored for now. Behind him, Allen was still braced against the wall, head hanging between his shoulders. There was no doubt about it, Sixty had won.

Really, logically, Allen couldn’t blame himself for finally orgasming. It had been a while since he got off with more than his own hand, and Sixty’s voice in his ear and teeth on his skin were hot as hell. Allen tensed as he came, gritting his teeth against the embarrassingly pleased sounds trying to escape.

Fuck. That felt good.

But once he came back to his senses somewhat and noticed both the mess on his jeans and the condescending shit Sixty had just said, Allen was  _ fuming _ . The anger over letting the other man get the win was enough to completely waste the pleasant afterglow of his orgasm, which only further pissed him off. 

“Fucking prick!” Allen growled, pulling up his pants before he was arrested for public indecency and trying to figure out how he was going to salvage this situation.

Smug satisfaction radiated through Sixty as he approached the bar again. He didn't even mind the crowd for a change. Connor and Nines were still at their booth though it looked like Gavin and Hank had joined them, glasses in front of them. If the others figured out what he and Allen had got up to, it didn't matter. They'd taken one look at him and know that their assumptions had been wrong. But the disheveled state he had left Allen in, along with the rather prominent bite marks would tell a very different story. Leaning against the bar again, Sixty waited to be served.

Looking down at his ruined jeans, Allen cursed again, loudly, and weighed his options. Between the cum on his clothes and the bites on his neck, if he went into the bar everyone would know. And he wasn’t sure he could bear the shame of that. He slammed his fist against the wall in frustration and immediately regretted it, his skin ripping slightly on the brick. 

Allen hissed at the pain, but it was almost better than the anger swirling through his system. Fuck this, he decided. He wasn’t going to give Sixty the satisfaction, he was just going to go home. Gavin and Hank could bring his helmet back, he was too far gone to care.

There was no sign of Allen returning to the bar and Sixty, shame on him, was getting a little worried. He'd been hoping to trade a few more barbs, maybe even a classic bar brawl if he could antagonise Allen into it.

Instead, he got to start feeling antsy. Taking the drinks over to the table, he slammed them down and scowled at the two uninvited idiots sat opposite his brothers.

"Where's your babysitter?" he snapped. A few shrugs and shakes of head later, Sixty rolled his eyes and stomped towards the back exit. Thoughts of finding Allen passed out or attacked while his trousers were literally around his knees played through his mind. Slamming the door open, he stepped back out into the alley.

Allen had decided, rather stupidly, to just get on his bike and ride home. He needed to clear his head, he decided, because if he went into that bar he was going to do something even more stupid, like punch Sixty. The last thing he needed was to get in a fight and get in trouble at work. Being captain of the SWAT team meant he needed to at least  _ pretend _ to respect his colleagues.

By the time Sixty exited the bar, Allen was long gone. He took the back roads home because he was without his helmet, and at least did Hank the courtesy of shooting him a text when he got back to his apartment.

The rest of the evening was nothing other than bored time filling. While Sixty still felt a ball of gloating superiority over Allen, it wasn't completely what he had wanted from the night. He felt there was more that could have been if only Allen hadn't chickened out and rode home crying.

Allen went home and took a shower, trying to wash all the anger of his body. Unfortunately, thinking about what had happened just made him hard again, and he ended up jerking off in the shower angrily. Finally exhausted, he fell asleep without a second thought as to how he may have affected Sixty through his actions.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is live, featuring more weird sexual tension, pop culture references, and a test of strength! We hope you enjoy C:

By the morning, Sixty had managed to put it mostly behind him as he got ready for the day. There was nothing out of the ordinary slated for it. A few results from the labs to analyse, a report to conclude the previous day's autopsy and there were murmurs of some extra evidence surfacing on a cold case. So, nothing to get excited about. He was half way through the morning, dreaming about lunch when the call came through. Another body was being brought down on the sharpish. This one needed to be done quickly and discreetly. And with a witness from outside the department to ensure no foul play or misadventures occurred during the procedure. Well, Sixty had been angling for something a little more exciting. It seemed like he was going to get what he wished for.

The next morning dawned faster than he would have liked, and Allen was suddenly faced with the prospect of going to work with his neck looking like it had been gnawed on. He managed to find an old black turtleneck he had bought at some point and never worn, pulling it on and finding that it still fit even if it was a bit tight. 

Luckily, today wasn’t a day out in the field, so Allen showed up to work in his shirt and holsters minus the riot gear or bulletproof vest. He had a body to deliver to the morgue that morning, which was never his favorite thing, let alone that particular morning. Allen set his mouth in a thin line and set his shoulders back, keeping his expression professional and bland as he walked into Sixty’s ‘lair’ with the gurney.

A series of emotions rocked through Sixty as he saw Allen step through the door. Firstly it was annoyance because it was Allen, the coward had run the previous night. Hot on the heels of that though was lust. He hadn't dealt with his arousal the previous night, enjoying the frustration of it and the build up more than the actual climax. Having Allen parading around in a tight turtleneck (thanks to Sixty's own teeth) was pushing him into dangerously aroused territory. To hide any evidence, Sixty seemingly idly buttoned up his lab coat with a fake, plastic pleasant smile on his lips.

"Good morning, Captain. Is this the rush job I had been alerted to?"

Seeing Sixty standing there with that stupid fake smile all over his face was enough to make Allen grit his teeth. God, he hated the smug bastard. But he was at work, so he has to pretend to at least be able to work with him.

“Yes, we need this one processed quickly and discreetly. We heard your office was good at rush jobs” He confirmed, unable to resist the small jab. He handed off the body and stood back, arms crossed and feet firmly planted, “I’ll be here for the duration to confirm that no one else is present.”

"Yes well, we work with what people provide, can't be blamed if they only ever want something quick." He pulled on a fresh pair of gloves and pinged them against his wrist with a snap. "Some people just don't appreciate the art of what we do and can't wait for the whole thing."

He grabbed his tools and pulled the body bag open with a whistle. While the cause of death was fairly evident, he still needed to rule out everything else. Setting to work, he cast a sneaky glance at Allen, enjoying the way his arms were crossed and pushing at his pecs. Time for a bit of fun.

Sixty hummed and wriggled a little as he worked. Soon, the humming turned into lyrics.

"We like, we like to party 

We like to party

I've got somethin' to tell ya 

I've got news for you

Gonna put some wheels in motion"

It was catchy and annoying as hell. If all went to plan, he was earworming Allen for a good few days.

Allen certainly didn’t ‘appreciate’ the work of a cadaver surgeon. He respected it as part of the criminal justice process, but it was a weird career choice in his opinion. At least Sixty seemed vaguely competent, and Allen wasn’t bothered by dead bodies. This would be boring, he figured.

As usual with Sixty, he figured wrong. The minute he recognized the song, Allen was gritting his teeth. That had to rank up with one of the worst songs in existence. He shifted from foot to foot in an attempt to distract himself, unwilling to say anything and let Sixty get the upper hand. His arms tightened, unwittingly pushing his pecs further together and up.

This was going far too well and Sixty dipped his face to hide his grin. As he moved to the body's face, he changed song.

“Big blue eyes, pointy nose, chasing mice and digging holes," he hummed the rest of the verse before dramatically looking up at Allen with a loud "what does the fox say?"

Allen was full on glaring now, unable to hide his displeasure. This was intentional, and they both knew it. 

“I think the fox would say something about this being a rush job.” Allen managed to grit out in a semi-pleasant voice, “Are you in the habit of singing to all your corpses?”

"Oh you're still not sulking about losing last night, are you?" Sixty's grin was all teeth. "Such a sore loser. Cheer up a bit. Maybe this will help."

He put his tools down and stood next to Allen, blood covered hands crossed out in front of him.

"Ready?" he asked, admiring Allen's crossed arms, the way the muscles bulged under the tight sleeves and his pecs shifted with each breath. When their eyes met again, Sixty started singing Gangnam Style and dancing, hip nudging Allen's to get him to join in.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Allen snapped, “I keep my time at work completely professional, unlike some people.” He couldn’t hold himself back from a rather judgmental eyebrow raise in Sixty’s direction. 

When the other man stood in front of him and gave him a rather obvious once-over, Allen was honestly half expecting Sixty to try and make out with him at work. Which...he honestly wasn’t sure what he would do. When he started dancing instead, Allen simply gaped.

His hips were immovable but he managed to splutter out “What on  _ earth _ are you doing??”

Throwing his hands in the air with an exasperated sigh, Sixty stalked back to the table.

"I can see my talents are wasted on a heathen like you," he grumbled with a smirk. There was one more trick up his sleeve though, to get Allen to break that oh-so-professional facade.

Slowly he began to sing in a low voice as he got back to work.

"I'm too sexy for shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts."

Allen was honestly flabbergasted at this point. Had Sixty fallen off his bike and hit his head?? He had never seen him so animated at work, let alone so weirdly insistent on having fun with him. 

Allen’s thoughtful mood was shattered as he heard Sixty start mumbling that particular song. Without thinking, he snorted out loud, retorting “you most absolutely are not.”

There it was. Sixty pumped his fist in victory.

"Totally am but you just can't handle it," he taunted. "Like you can't handle a decent bike between your legs."

Satisfied that he had Allen break his work persona, Sixty settled back to work quietly, leaning over to inspect a knife wound.

“And you apparently can’t handle anything between your legs.” Allen snapped back, absolutely fuming now. He wanted to reach across the table and slap Sixty, but he was going to restrain himself. 

Instead, after a few moments of silence to compose himself, Allen crosses the room to stand uncomfortably close to Sixty, leaning slightly over him to look at the body. He wasn’t touching him, not at all, but he was very very close. “Think you’ll be done soon?” He asked, although that was obviously not the case.

"Not all of us can be as quick as you," Sixty replied and pushed his hips out a little, butt brushing against Allen's crotch. If Allen stayed close, Sixty was confident he could get him hard from touch alone and if he moved away, well, it was another small victory to him.

Allen refused to move, letting Sixty obviously grind against him. Sure, it was distracting, but he was confident he could keep it under control. Looking down at a dead body helped, as did getting off twice yesterday. But Sixty...he hadn’t gotten off yesterday, as far as Allen knew. Time to push a bit.

Leaning in closer, Allen knew his breath had to be tickling at Sixty’s skin. “No shame in getting the job done right away, hm?”

Grinning down at the corpse, Sixty kept his focus even as he blatantly started grinding against Allen.

"No shame but plenty of judgement if it's quick and sloppy."

He peered down at the victim and stopped all messing around as his focus made the world around him fall away.

"Well hello there," he muttered, Allen completely forgotten. "You weren't just stabbed, were you?"

Allen could feel his cheeks heating up, glad he had worn his thick work pants. He would still probably have to stop by the bathroom afterwards, but that was worth it if he could get Sixty flustered. “Hm, quick and sloppy is probably best blamed on the technician handling the job, I feel” he purred pointedly.

Sixty’s sudden change in tone had him frowning in surprise though, suddenly brought back to work like he was being slapped in the face. “You found something?” He asked.

The "hush now, adults are at work" came out more distracted than intended as Sixty teased the shard out of the wound.

"Unless your suspects were into preparing victims' stab wounds with piercings or needles, I'd say this is a cover up. I'll need a few hours to run a full analysis but I would bet good money on the fact that dead dead-o here is pumped full of something potent."

He turned and gave Allen a hard stare. "I trust you can wait patiently for the next few hours? Without rushing into anything."

Allen raised an eyebrow. This certainly did change everything. His air of teasing faded and he stepped back a few steps to size up the other man from a more work-appropriate distance. 

“I’m sure I’ll be fine to wait as long as there are no further distractions in the room.” He said with a sidelong look at Sixty, “I’m not leaving until this autopsy is completed anyways, those are my orders.”

Attention completely on the job now, Sixty stopped fooling around. He set about taking samples, working methodically through the process and trying to piece information together into a viable theory of what he was working with.

"You go sit in my office if you'd like, through the doors on your left." He waved vaguely in the direction, not really paying Allen much attention anymore.

The change in tone was enough to give Allen whiplash, honestly, but he couldn’t say he minded the more professional tone Sixty was taking now. Maybe he’d actually get to just sit and observe quietly until this was over. 

Allen nodded in response to the offer, heading quietly into the office and pulling a chair into line of sight of the door. He did technically have to watch the entire time, which sadly meant more time looking at Sixty in all his infuriating glory.

Most of the work was done quickly and efficiently. Samples taken and fed through machines for analysis which could take a while. Straightening up, Sixty frowned as his back popped. Peeling the gloves off and shrugging out of his coat, he ambled to the sink to wash up.

Given how sensitive the job was, he was quietly pleased that he'd brought his own lunch with him. Which probably couldn't be said about Allen. Sighing, he grabbed his bag and pulled out the food, taking half and shoving the rest towards Allen.

"I've locked the doors, nobody goes in or out. So relax and eat lunch while the machines do their thing."

He settled on his chair, feet up on his desk and bit into the sandwich.

As much as Allen hated admitting it, even privately, Sixty was a very capable worker when he was concentrating. He supposed he had to be, if he worked here, given the demanding standards of this precinct. Allen didn't think on it too much, instead letting himself fall into that strange concentration space he utilized during stakeouts.

The sudden movement at lunchtime pulled Allen out of his head, and before he could react there was a half a sandwich in front of him. Which, admittedly, he did sort of need. He could hold out for lunch for a while, but it was always better to work on a full stomach.

"Aw, Sixty, I knew you cared." Allen teased lightly, biting into his own sandwich half with some satisfaction.

Shrugging, Sixty crammed more of the sandwich in his mouth. He put a pot of yogurt on the table along with a banana.

"Choose which you'd prefer." He gestured to them. "And I still don't care. But this is a morgue, not a hospital, so if you pass out, I will only do a post mortem on you, not nurse you back to health."

Despite himself, he ended up letting out a jaw cracking yawn. Perhaps he should start considering earlier nights if he wasn't able to stay awake the next day.

Allen was still chuckling as he took the yogurt cup and spoon, setting it in front of himself on the table. “Sure, sure. Although after last night I thought you’d be eager to get all up in my guts.” He teased again, leaning back slightly in the chair and finishing off the sandwich. 

The yawn pulled a surprised look out of Allen, and he commented “Wow, somebody needs their afternoon coffee.” He was honestly feeling similarly tired, but he was still willing to bet he had gotten more sleep than Sixty.

"Some of us have been hard at work today on a sudden rush job," Sixty replied with a shrug and grabbed the banana.

He eyed it up and sent Allen a contemplative look. Was he given the fruit out of genuine preference? Or was Allen teasingly expecting a taunting show. It didn't matter, Sixty's mind was still with the body on the slab rather than his lunch so he took a quick bite from it and watched whether it made Allen wince.

"And no coffee for me. You've seen my job, right? Caffeine jitters or withdrawal shakes are not advised in my field. Plus, coffee tastes worse than ass anyway."

He saluted Allen with his banana and took another bite.

Allen had avoided the banana for a couple reasons - firstly, that he just didn’t care for bananas as much, and secondly, because he didn’t want to give Sixty an opening to tease him about his banana eating skills. When the other man chomped down on the fruit, Allen didn’t react other than to roll his eyes at the childish display.

Shrugging, he replied “Guess I didn’t realize you needed to have a steady hand to work on already dead bodies.” He supposed he could see the point Sixty was trying to make, but he was being ornery on purpose at this point.

"Is it any different to a sniper lining up a shot but hitting the heart rather than the shoulder? I slice the wrong part and the evidence of something more sinister could get gone-" he snapped a finger "-like that."

Lunch was pretty much finished but they still had over an hour to kill before any of the results would be back. Sighing, Sixty rolled his neck.

"I can feel all the work I should be doing stacking up while we sit around and wait," he groused. "Give me a minute."

He left the office, heading for the little kitchenette on the other side of the morgue. It was beyond all the analysis machinery, hidden from view. If he wasn't wrong, there was a deck of cards in one of the drawers there, they could pass the time with that.

With Sixty gone, Allen had a few moments to decide on his next course of action. The more professional part of him was telling him to just sit tight and wait for the other man to come back. They would sit and wait out this next hour making bland small talk and trading jabs and...

Fuck that.

Sixty had made it clear earlier that he wanted to push the boundaries, and Allen knew for a fact that there were no cameras down here in the morgue. That was partly why he was here to supervise. It also meant that whatever he did down here wouldn’t make it back to his superiors (or worse, his team of lackeys). 

Shifting out of his chair quickly and quietly thanks to his SWAT training, Allen scooted underneath Sixty’s desk, arranging himself into the most comfortable position possible on his knees. Now he just had to wait for the other man to come back.

* * *

Returning to the office with a deck in hand, Sixty was about to ask whether Allen was capable of playing strip poker or whether snap was more in line with his IQ skills. However, the office seemed empty. Nobody had walked past Sixty to the bathrooms which meant that Allen still had to be in the office. And there was only one place to hide.

"This better not be your attempt at playing hide and seek," Sixty warned lowly as he settled in his chair and scooted closer, his knee brushing against a shoulder. "Guess I'll have to catch up on some paperwork that's been lingering in my inbox while we wait."

Allen was holding his breath without really realizing it, waiting to see just how Sixty would react. When he played along, Allen relaxed and let out a soft breath of warm air against the thigh now right next to his face. It was a bit of a cramped space, but he had total faith in his own abilities. Time for a little payback.

Scooting forward slightly, Allen set one warm hand on Sixty’s thigh, getting his face right up into his crotch. He had no intention of being anything but the worst kind of tease right now. He nosed teasingly at the other man’s dress slacks, trying to gauge his interest already.

The game was on but Sixty didn't know the end goal. Cockwarming? Or just teasing? Maybe even payback for the previous night. Thoughts of the sounds Allen made, the defiance in his eyes before succumbing to the pleasure Sixty offered had him stirring in his trousers already. To even things up a bit, he shifted his leg a little so his foot was pressing against Allen's crotch, giving him something to rut against.

Idly, Sixty opened up his e-mails and got to work. The ball was completely in Allen's court.

Allen’s intent was purely to tease here, maybe to get Sixty off if he had time. Maybe. It all depended on how vindictive he was feeling by the end. He absolutely wanted to get him squirming though, and possibly to make a mess of his slacks. 

Letting his lips fall open, Allen mouthed gently at Sixty through his pants, encouraged by the slight hardness he could already feel. His hand on Sixty’s thigh began to massage slowly but firmly, encouraging him to relax and release some of the tension he could feel in those muscles.

A sigh escaped Sixty's mouth as he relaxed into the touch. Even if that wasn't Allen's intention, the firm touches were everything Sixty needed and he melted into it. Shuffling lower in his chair to make a bit more room for Allen, he kept his focus on the computer. It didn't matter that the words were already as good as gobbledegook on the screen, he had a pretence to keep up.

"If you insist on slobbering over my slacks like a dog, I'm going to have to insist on getting you a collar," he sniped, foot pressing harder against Allen's crotch. He cursed his shoes for not allowing him more tactile sensations. There was no way he could tell whether Allen was as into this as he was.

Allen was very pleased with the progress he was making, but as soon as Sixty snapped at him he completely stilled, pulling his mouth away and tensing his hand up. He was not here to be told what to do, and if Sixty tried to force himself into power then Allen would just crawl right out from underneath the desk and pretend nothing had ever happened.

Sixty’s shoe had him stirring with interest in his slacks, admittedly he had always had a thing for getting it rough. Not to mention the situation itself was forbidden and sending a pleasant thrill down his spine.

That was possibly the wrong thing to say and Sixty rolled his eyes. People were such hard work - no pun intended. Still, he wanted to see where Allen was prepared to take this so he was going to make amends. He reached down and his fingers wound into Allen's hair, then stroking over his cheek bone.

"Come now, pet," he chided. "I thought you were all teeth and claws and needed taming."

He nudged his foot a little again. "Why don't we focus on you for a bit? Let me scoot back and then you can show me how you like your cock being touched?"

Allen ‘tsk’-ed his tongue against his teeth, replying in a low voice, “You just get back to your paperwork, hm? Let me do my job and keep that fast mouth of yours quiet for once.” It didn’t come out as an order so much as a sultry suggestion. One of these days Allen was really going to have to stuff Sixty’s mouth full of cock just to see if that would shut him up. 

As much as the prospect of getting off himself was becoming more and more interesting, Allen remained firm in his intentions, using his free hand to open up Sixty’s slacks and pull his dick out. He took a moment to observe it, fingertips lightly teasing at the skin.

The soft touch sent shivers through Sixty and he bit back on a happy little moan.

"I'll be quiet when you suck my brain out through my dick."

It was only fair, he supposed. He's seen what Allen had hidden under his slacks m, Sixty could allow the favour to be returned and show Allen what he was working with.

"I know," he teased, "it's so good, it leaves most people speechless."

Hearing just the edge of that little moan had Allen’s mouth turning up into a smirk. He wanted to know if Sixty’s mouthy nature meant he was going to be loud when he was feeling pleasure. Only one way to find out.

Biting back a retort but not quite restraining himself from an audible snort at the boast, Allen leaned in and took just the tip of Sixty’s dick into his mouth. He explored that slowly with his tongue, letting his hand go back to its massage.

It had definitely been too long since someone paid Sixty so much attention and he relished it. All his experiences had been a hand down trousers in the dark corner of a club, nothing more so this was both new and exciting. The warmth, the teasing hand massaging his thigh and trailing higher, the fact that he couldn't control or predict what was going to happen next. It was all getting to him in the best of ways. Tipping his head back, he relaxed into his chair.

"You're surprisingly good at this. Didn't have you pegged as an enthusiastic cock sucker. Thought I'd have to work harder to get you on your knees for me," he purred as his hand stayed threaded in Allen's hair.

The moment was broken by the shrill ringing of the office phone. He couldn't ignore it. Reluctantly, he pulled his hand from Allen's hair, cleared his throat and tried not to sound like he was getting his dick sucked as he picked up the phone.

Allen simply rolled his eyes and slowly relaxed his jaw to take Sixty’s cock deeper into his mouth. When he wasn’t trying to one up an annoying rival, he really didn’t have much shame when it came to sex. Sucking dick was enjoyable for a lot of reasons, a lot of which stemmed from the fact that he was pretty damn good at it. He enjoyed being able to control the pace and pleasure his partner however he wanted. 

The hand in his hair was a nice detail, Allen enjoying the feeling of the gentle pressure on his scalp and the foot on his own dick. He was starting to get hard, but hadn’t reached the stage where he would need to rut up against Sixty’s shoe yet. He could hold out for a little longer.

The phone call, well, that was just a stroke of absolute luck. If he could have, Allen would have grinned. As it was, he waited until the conversation had really started, then took a deep breath through his nose and swallowed Sixty down as far as he could manage.

A fist thumped against the table as Sixty tried to keep control of himself. That was an utter dick move from Allen and he pressed his foot into him hard in retaliation.

Of course, he also missed the question he was being asked, and needed to suck in a breath before he could make an excuse. Once the call ended, Allen was going to regret showing off his deepthroating skills at such an inopportune time.

Hearing that thump of a fist above him had Allen chuckling, the vibrations echoing up through his throat. They quickly turned into a stifled moan as that shoe pressed down on him though, Allen having to grip his own thigh with a free hand to keep from bucking up into the pressure.

He couldn’t stay with a cock down his throat for too long, but once he was forced to pull back he made up for it by beginning to bob his head slowly up and down in a rhythm. It was messy work, but Allen was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Excuse me, I need to go. Email me the details and I will get back to you but right now I'm working on a rush job," Sixty grit out and slammed the receiver down.

Pushing a little back, he glared down at Allen.

"You are what you eat, you dick," he intoned but his hand was already back in Allen's hair and urging him to keep moving, hips flexing to get more.

Allen looked up at Sixty as innocently as one could with a mouthful of cock. He batted his eyelashes playfully and gladly got back to work on the task at hand. 

With a hand in his hair and the obvious approval from Sixty, Allen was as enthusiastic as he was aroused at this point. He had dropped his plan of leaving the other man hanging , intending instead to just knock him out with a killer orgasm as payback for last night.

If Sixty didn't know any better, he would have guessed Allen had moved this from a power game to actual gratification and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Not that he had a lot of brain power to spare when he was so close to an orgasm. However, he refused to let go before Allen. He wanted the satisfaction of being able to last longer and Sixty was going to do everything in his power to have that.

Looking down at Allen, he smiled and cupped his cheek gently, letting his thumb trace his bottom lip around his cock, wet with spit.

"Look at you, so pretty like this, so good for me. Let me make you feel good too." He moved his foot and urged Allen to rub against it. In a way, he was hedging his bets by hoping Allen had a praise kink but sometimes he had to take a risk.

It was honestly pretty easy for Allen to lose himself in pleasure when he was sucking dick like that. He did still have it in mind that this was intended to be a victory of sorts, forcing Sixty to finally be vulnerable and let go when he orgasmed. So far, Allen hadn’t had quite as much control as he would have liked, since Sixty was still rubbing him through his pants and running his mouth. 

Just as he could feel Sixty start to tense, and thus he began to speed up, suddenly Allen was looking up into brown eyes and a smile. He had certainly never considered himself to have a praise kink. He never would have listed that to potential partners if asked. And yet the strange juxtaposition from Sixty’s usual treatment of him hit him square in the gut.

Allen moaned without thinking, hips jerking up against the foot on his dick. Annoyance flared up immediately afterwards, and despite wanting nothing more than to give in, he clenched his hand tighter on Sixty’s thigh and kept working his mouth.

"That's it sweetheart," he urged, "take what you need. Let me feel you moan around me."

He was close, so close. Thighs tensing under Allen's hand, Sixty had to focus on not thrusting up into his mouth. Perhaps he should have been worried how easy it was to talk to Allen as he was.

"You feel wonderful darling, I can only hope you're feeling as good as me. Think you could come for me? Let me watch you fall apart."

Allen was furious, but it was getting harder and harder to focus with the insistent need between his legs and that weirdly honey smooth voice in his ear. Maybe he was starting to get a Pavlovian response to being mad, a worried part of his brain pointed out.

But that part of Allen’s brain wasn’t in charge. He decided instead, that much like the race before, they were going to go down together or not at all. Letting himself chase his own pleasure in earnest, hips thrusting awkwardly up, Allen let his jaw drop and took Sixty as far as he could go again.

Usually, Sixty was quiet by nature and he softly keened in his throat, unable to hold back. A few short thrusts into the wet heat of Allen's mouth and he was gone, hand fisting in his hair, head thudding against his chair's support.

"Fuck you're good, doll," he huffed out, hand turning gentle again. "Should have done this sooner."

Whether or not he came before or after Sixty wasn’t something Allen had enough brain cells left to think about. Instead, he shook through his orgasm with his moans muted by Sixty’s cock in his mouth. He made no effort to be clean about this, letting cum drip off his chin and onto the chair and Sixty’s pants.

Drawing back, Allen panted as he recovered, unconsciously leaning into the pressure of Sixty’s hand. His whole body felt pleasantly limp, and he could only hum wordlessly as he worked to clear his throat and get it working again.

For the first time, Sixty saw Allen as something less than put together and in the moment. He looked soft, a little dazed, much like Sixty felt himself. Ignoring the mess, he let himself slip off the chair until he was kneeling opposite Allen and pulling him in for a kiss, getting the mess spread on both their chins.

Allen was too blissed out to do much more than just chase additional pleasure. He leaned into the kiss, eyes closing and one hand reaching up to run through Sixty’s hair. He knew they were making a mess, but that was honestly satisfying. Served the little shit right.

Somehow, Sixty took it upon himself to clean Allen up, licking his chin between kisses (cleaning up his own mess didn’t phase him much), pushing what he caught with his tongue into his mouth. Once the high faded a little, he sat back on his knees with a lazy smile.

"Well, I guess that was a bit more interesting than a few rounds of solitaire to kill time." He patted Allen condescendingly on the cheek. "Thanks, babydoll."

With that he clambered out from under the table with as much elegance and composure as he could and made his way to the bathroom to clean up a little.

* * *

Allen honestly still wasn't totally sure he hadn't fallen into some sort of weird alternate reality. Sure, Sixty was always a brat, but here he had been strangely attentive, that voice of his going all soft with praise. Shaking his head to clear it, Allen managed to grunt out a response as Sixty stood.

"More fun than conversation with you, that's for sure."

His voice was hoarse, throat still upset from the abuse he had put it through, but he figured that would fade before he had to leave the morgue. The ruined state of his pants and his briefs though...That was a much bigger problem. Swearing internally, Allen hauled himself up from under the desk and followed Sixty to the bathroom.

"I only gave you my cock to suckle on to keep you quiet," Sixty sneered as he wiped his trousers. "I quite enjoyed the silence."

He smirked as he realised Allen's predicament, not envying him in the slightest. Messy, cooling come in his underwear was not his idea of a good time. Still, he felt a pang of sympathy and, while he left Allen to try and clean up, he set the kettle going.

"Can't offer you an after shag cigarette but you want a tea?"

Allen rolled his eyes, retorting “If you say the word ‘suckle’ one more time I will be forced to take drastic action against you.” There was no real venom to the shot though, since he could tell Sixty was just trying to make himself feel better after such a moment of weakness. Plus he really needed to concentrate on salvaging his pants. 

“Sure.” Allen said before he really realized what he had said, and once he had said it, he couldn’t take it back. He supposed that wasn’t the worst thing Sixty could do at this point. Strange, but not necessarily bad. He exited the bathroom once he had done all he could, resigning himself to a slightly sticky rest of the day.

Along with the tea, Sixty had left a spare pair of pants on the table but refused to even acknowledge that he had put it there - they were absolutely not his own spare pair in the event of a spillage. And the tea was only to keep Allen quiet, not at all to soothe his throat. As soon as Allen appeared in the doorway, Sixty put his mug of hot chocolate to the side.

"Results are in," he announced and left for the machines, bustling around to get everything together and properly analysed. There was not even a sliver of a chance that he was running away because of a sudden case of confused feelings.

It was only his intense training at keeping a resting bitch face that kept Allen from gaping at the strangely tender gesture of tea and a spare pair of pants. The stern expression gave way to a slow sort of smile which was not quite a smirk, but still not quite deliciously fond. In his head, Allen was gloating, an internal monologue of ‘oh so you  _ really _ don’t care, huh Sixty?’

The smug satisfaction of this imaginary victory gave way to a stomach churning realization of ‘oh shit wait he might actually care’ as Allen slipped on the spare pair of pants. He had never seen Sixty as anything more than an annoying rival and coworker, but this was...dangerously slippery territory they were in now. Allen sipped his tea thoughtfully then finally followed Sixty, awkwardly clearing his throat to ask “So, anything interesting?”

Keeping it cool and professional, Sixty scoured the printouts and results. He didn't look up to talk to Allen, instead he kept a furrowed brow as he looked at the results.

"Bloods show three times the lethal dose of heroin, given that the needle had broken into the body and was disguised as a stab wound, I would guess it was a revenge murder. Or, to flip it on its head, user took more than their fair share, died in an inconvenient spot and the dealer or friend they were using with got frustrated and stabbed them."

He read a little further and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"There's also a high reading for pregabalin and valium. An interesting concoction that's for sure. Where did you find this one again?"

Allen was now frowning as he took in the implications of what was unfolding here. All worries about whatever was going on or not going on between them was very much lost at this point. What had been a rush job just to rule out any foul play was turning out to be very foul indeed.

“Found him in a park in a decent neighborhood, sitting on a bench like he was asleep.” Allen supplied, “We figured it was an overdose but wanted to make sure, since it’s a rather unusual place for users to hang out in.”

"Oooh, was there a duck pond? Because then it was a murder most fowl." Sixty giggled before he realised he was talking to Allen and he immediately tried to shut back down.

Allen’s frown deepened into a suspicious squint at Sixty as he straight up giggled in the middle of a discussion about dead drug users. “No, no duck ponds. Just a dead guy and a bunch of trees.”

Under his breath, Sixty muttered a "what a tree-mendous disappointment" but otherwise kept his eyes on his pieces of paper.

"Given that there were stab wounds on the victim, I would have guessed even you buff lugs at SWAT would have been able to guess that something more was afoot."

He was getting back to his usual snark that he reserved for Allen, which was most reassuring.

Allen snorted under his breath, unable to restrain the natural reaction to the pun. He didn’t try to restrain the scowl that spread across his face as Sixty did the stereotypical ‘dumb meathead SWAT routine’. 

“Yeah, that’s why we brought it in so the pasty nerds could analyze the body. You know, so we can head back out and actually apprehend the criminal.” He retorted.

That kind of sniping was much more comfortable and usual, it flooded Sixty with a relaxed warmth. It was nice to know that just because they were hate fucking didn't mean that emotions and other silly things were getting in the way.

"You go work out at a muscle gym, I work out at a brain gym - also known as school and university." His smile was all teeth. "Sorry, let me break it down to smaller words for you. You're strong and dumb. I'm strong and clever."

It was honestly a little reassuring to see Sixty return to his usual routine, snapping and bitching and just in general running his mouth. Allen honestly wasn’t sure if he was a fan of that new, sweet Sixty, no matter how many weird chest flutters he caused.

Allen couldn’t help but bark out a harsh laugh at that, his own smile matching Sixty’s. “I’m sorry, smart I’ll give you, but strong? In your dreams.” He retorted. Sure, he knew Sixty to be a capable rider, but underneath that lab coat he was almost guaranteed to be a noodle.

Eyeing Allen critically, Sixty glared at him.

"Are you challenging me, Captain?" He spat the title like it was a dirty word. "Because you'd do better to put your money where your mouth is. I bet you the strip for the whole of next week that I am stronger than you."

Allen was grinning now, watching Sixty bristle like a wet cat. “Sure, I’ll take those odds.” He agreed easily without even bothering to consider any other option. He trained almost every day, there was no way this little lab rat was going to beat him.

“Do you have a challenge in mind for our wager?”

"I guess we both already know I have the bigger dick. So let's go with something your neanderthal brain can comprehend. How about a simple arm wrestle? Should be easy enough for you to understand beyond 'me big. Me strong,' right?"

He eyed up the table, just beyond Allen, in his office. Move a few trays and papers out the way and they had the perfect place.

"Unless you want to go smaller and have a thumb war?"

Sixty really wasn’t going to shut up about the dick thing, huh? Allen’s resolve to absolutely crush him only increased. Not that he had been considering going easy on him before, oh no. No he definitely didn’t want to do anything other than totally humiliate this annoyance. 

“I’m not liable for any injuries you sustain getting into this kind of a competition.” Allen sniped back, “If I dislocate your shoulder I’m not paying for your hospital bills.” He saw the table Sixty was eyeing and walked over, shoving the papers aside with no consideration for their worth.

Sixty's smile held nothing pleasant as he took a seat, rolling his sleeve up for show.

"You winning has the same odds as cow shit falling on its edge."

He watched Allen push his sleeve up and ogled the muscles of his arm before catching himself. Maybe this was going to be more of a challenge than he'd thought. Victory was going to be all that much sweeter though.

Allen was surprised when Sixty rolled up his sleeve to reveal not just a skinny noodle arm. He wasn’t muscular by any stretch of the imagination, but he wasn’t quite the weakling Allen had imagined. No matter, he would still win.

“Time to put up and shut up, Sixty,” Allen teased, setting his arm out, “Talking fast won’t help you now.”

"I thought we'd already established who the fast one was here," Sixty sneered and took the offered hand. Allen's hand in his in no way sent a shiver down his spine. His hand was dry and warm, a little broader than Sixty's but in a comforting way. It was a hand that Sixty would have quite happily held on to for a while longer and could easily imagine it doing other things too.

Allen had nothing else to say, instead clasping Sixty’s hand firmly in his. It was a little cool, the skin smooth and the fingers delicate in a way Allen wasn’t sure he wanted to think about further. He _definitely_ didn’t want to think about those fingers cupping his cheek so delicately...

Flexing a bit to show off, Allen said, “Alright, I’ll count down and we start on ‘go’.”

The quip about being able to count backwards as well as forwards to three died on Sixty's lips and Allen flexed. His turtleneck left nothing to the imagination, the ripple of muscle from bicep to pecs was mesmerizing and Sixty couldn't tear his eyes from it. It was a form of cheating really.

He barely heard the "go" before Allen was pushing him arm and he had to scramble to counter the pressure, pushing back as hard as he could. It was like pushing against a brick wall. Matters also weren't helped by the way the turtleneck showed everything off and Sixty's cock stirred in renewed interest at the display of power.

Allen, who was watching Sixty carefully for any signs of complaint or cheating, couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes widened and rather obviously raked across his chest. It seemed the slightly too small shirt was working in his favor, and Allen smirked across the table at his opponent.

He had been complimented on his body enough times to know he could have an effect on others, and well, it served Sixty right. Big dick or not, he wasn’t going to win this competition if he couldn’t stop ogling Allen’s chest.

The competition honestly was a little harder than Allen had expected, Sixty pushing back with some vigor. But not enough to withstand Allen, as he slowly began to lower the other man’s arm to the table.

Losing was not something Sixty was used to. He growled as he pushed back against Allen but it was pointless. All his efforts were fruitless, wasted on an immovable object that slowly pressed him closer to the table. Something in Sixty's arm twinged, a sharp pain which had him yelping and his arm was smashed into the table with a resounding thwack. It made his knuckles burn and he yanked the sore limb away, turning from the table and cradling it against his chest silently. Looking at his knuckles, he frowned at the blood that now decorated them along with torn skin.

Allen was taken by surprise when Sixty suddenly yelped and stopped pushing back. It was so sudden that he had no time to stop himself from accidentally slamming his hand into the table. Winning or not, he honestly hadn’t wanted to hurt Sixty. Concern flooded his face as he leaned forward, asking earnestly “Are you alright?”

Rather than reply, Sixty pushed out of his chair and stalked out of the room, clutching his arm to his chest. He'd never coped well with pain and add in a bruised ego, he knew that anything out of his mouth would be plain mean and hurtful. Thinking he was out of sight of the office, he shook his arm out and winced as the muscles of his shoulder protested.

In pain and humiliated, he wanted time alone to lick his wounds. Quickly gathering up all the analysis and scribbling down his notes, he returned to his office and thrust them at Allen.

"Conclusion and findings are all here. You may get out now."

Oh. Allen found that his chest twinged awkwardly at the sight of Sixty turning away and cradling his arm in obvious pain. Despite this having been Sixty’s idea, Allen felt oddly responsible. He was the stronger person, and the one who should have known better. 

Allen stood and went to follow Sixty, only to catch a glimpse of the injury on his knuckles. He felt even worse, somehow, the victory hollow now. He didn’t try to approach the other man, clearly reading the signs that he wasn’t wanted here.

Allen did mutter a “Sorry, I hope that doesn’t scar.” As he accepted the files and left the room. His bad mood followed him the whole rest of the day, despite attempting to not think about Sixty. It wasn’t like they were even friends! He had just sucked his dick, that was all. That was definitely all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is ready to go! A quick peek at Connor's take on this whole business! ;)

Usually, people assumed that Connor was the soft touch of the brothers. That he was the one the other two protected. It was a mistake to think that, to act as though Connor didn't have claws of his own to sink into those who wronged him or his family. And right now, he had a bone to pick with a certain idiot. Sure, he'd happily sit back and let Sixty and Nines play the role of protectors but when it mattered, Connor was still the oldest and would do anything and everything for his family.

Right now, Connor was on a warpath. He knew Hank and Gavin were waiting by their bikes for Allen to turn up so they could go for a ride. No doubt they were aware that they had the strip for the next week. Well, Hank and Gavin did. Allen had better not show his face on the roads for that duration. Stomping out into the cool air, Connor approached the other two, bringing a veritable storm with him.

"I have a message for you to deliver."

Hank and Gavin were leaning on their bikes simply shooting the shit when Connor approached. At the beginning of their working relationship, they had absolutely loathed each other, past behavior and strong personalities getting in the way to the point of rivalry. But with Allen's firm presence as the center of the gang, they had both calmed down enough to realize they actually had a lot in common. Now it wasn't unusual for the two of them to hang out and get something to eat after work together.

Hank perked up when he noticed Connor at first, then quickly sobered as he saw the look on his face. That was never a good sign. "Hey Con. What's up?" He asked, keeping his own tone light without being overly fond. It seemed like today they were playing enemies.

"You'd better tell your third wheel to keep off the roads for the next week unless he wants to find his brakes cut as he approaches a junction," Connor hissed, squaring up against the other two. "We'll honour the bet but he does not get to reap the rewards of his brutality."

He stared Hank then Gavin in the eyes, hard and unblinking, knowing just how unnerving it could be. Confident that his message was received loud and clear, he turned to get his own bike.

"If I so much as hear his engine on the roads, I will hunt him down and make him pay."

Hank’s eyebrows shot up at the pure anger in Connor’s tone. Sure, they all traded playful barbs with one another as part of this whole gang war, but outright threats of genuine violence seemed like a lot. He didn’t particularly like this new side of Connor that he was seeing.

Gavin, of course, couldn’t keep his mouth shut, and exclaimed “ _ Brutality? _ what’d he do, bite your brother’s ear off or something??” He was staring at Connor in total disbelief and a little bit of anxiety.

Straddling his bike, Connor looked over at the other two, helmet in his hand and a growl low in his throat.

"If that brute thinks it's okay to sprain my brother's shoulder and scrape his knuckles bloody, even if they were messing around in the name of fun, and you think that's absolutely fine, then you are not who I thought you were. We're all adults, self-restraint and safety should not be something we need remind of."

He jammed the helmet over his head and revved the engine, intent on doing a patrol of the streets before heading home.

Gavin was clearly holding back a laugh at Connor’s super serious take on whatever was happening, but Hank’s hand squeezing down firmly on his shoulder kept him from saying anything stupid. The last thing they needed was to get into a fistfight right now just because tensions were rising high. 

“I’ll pass along your message.” Hank said before Connor sped off, mulling over what must have happened in his mind. Usually if something happened he went to Connor for information, but well...looks like this time he was going to just have to wait for Allen to pull up.

The familiar rumble of the bike against the asphalt didn't do much to calm Connor. When he'd gone to see Sixty on his break, he'd been appalled to find him wincing each time he gestured too wide. And his knuckles had looked sore, irritated by the gloves he had to wear for work. Even though Sixty had tried to shrug it off as his own stupidity and the fact that his bruised ego couldn't take any pampering from anyone, Connor had seen red. It had been a childish game, sure, and Sixty should have known better than to arm wrestle with a SWAT goon. But, by the same virtue, Allen shouldn't have been so forceful about it. There were gentle ways of winning those things but, obviously, Allen didn't have much care for them or others when it came to winning some dumb macho thing. Turning down a little side road, Connor began to circle back to the strip.

When Allen arrived, he was already in a pretty low mood. He was looking forward to riding a bit and hopefully bolstering his spirits, but those hopes were dashed when Hank and Gavin explained Connor’s ultimatum. The glum mood he was in quickly morphed back into anger. Sure, he felt bad about hurting Sixty, but was he going to let the guy’s brother bully him over some scraped knuckles? Absolutely not.

Besides, Allen thought bitterly, revving his engine, if Sixty was so damn upset about it, he could come out here and yell at him himself! Despite Hank’s misgivings, the three of them were roaring down the strip soon enough, Allen somewhat outpacing the other two as usual.

The roar of the bikes was audible even two roads over and Connor snarled in his helmet. That was the sound of three bikes, not two. Taking a shortcut, he emerged half way down the strip and watched the three riders approach, Allen further out from the other two. Despite them all being in black, it wasn't all that difficult to tell them apart.

Anger clouded his vision and just as Allen was approaching, Connor jumped out from the side street, fishtailing in front of him, tyres squealing. He had been serious. Allen was not going to be enjoying his victory when Sixty was hurting. Especially not when there was a chance Sixty would need a few days rest from the bike, it being too heavy and his arm too sore to manage it for now.

Allen was doing his best to let the rumble of the engine and the roar of tires on asphalt soothe the thoughts rolling around in his head. On the one hand, he couldn’t ignore the guilt he felt about hurting someone who was a colleague and also an...acquaintance. He was the stronger party, he should have known when to stop. But on the other hand, Sixty’s attitude and Connor’s behavior were making him feel annoyed at even thinking about the other man. It was his own fault, he shouldn’t have made this stupid bet in the first place! 

As lost as he was in his own thoughts, Allen didn’t see Connor until it was almost too late. He barely had time to curse loudly in his helmet, slamming on the brakes and making a sharp emergency turn to avoid hitting the bike that was suddenly in front of him. He heard similar squealing noises from the breaks on Gavin and Hank’s bikes, but that was a dim sound compared to the rushing in his own ears.

As Allen fought to control his bike, he accidentally lost control of his body, feeling as if in slow motion the way he slipped out of the seat and into the free air. Then he was slamming into the ground, luckily falling off the road and into the grass strip next to it.

The cacophony from behind him had Connor looking first in his mirror then over his shoulder. Allen was sprawled on the verge, bike on its side and scuffed. Served him right. Making a sharp turn, he pulled up alongside Allen who was pushing up onto his elbows.

"Maybe you'll learn to control yourself now. If you can't do it for anyone else then perhaps you'll learn to preserve your own egotistic ass. Keep off the strip until you earn it honourably."

With that, Connor turned his bike around and screeched off into the traffic, leaving tyre smoke and exhaust to float in Allen's face, hoping to make him cough.

Allen could feel immediately that he wasn’t in any real danger - nothing on his body was screaming out in agony. He instead felt the dull throbbing ache of lot of places that were going to be sore very soon. All in all, he counted himself lucky. 

Looking up at Connor, Allen managed to raise a hand to flip him the bird. Had his helmet not been on, he would have spit on him. He also would have had a snappy retort had his head not been spinning, but as it was, all he could do was flop back and curse as he coughed from the exhaust.

Gavin and Hank were quickly on the scene, sitting him up and checking that nothing was actually seriously wrong. Hank had that tight set to his jaw that meant he was quietly fuming, and Gavin was visibly upset, cursing and spitting angrily at how immature and fucked Connor was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone say 'soft bonding time'? Cause hoo boy does this chapter have that in spades ;)

Deep down, Sixty loved his brothers, he really did and would do anything for them. However, in that moment, he was cursing up a storm at Connor for his overbearing, overprotective big brother streak. It wasn't often they ended up in a screaming match but this time, it was well deserved. Not only did his actions endanger the lives of road users, he'd also willingly fucked things up at work for himself. All because Sixty had lost a bet and got a little banged up for it. Mind you, Connor had given him a bollocking and a half for deciding to arm wrestle with someone so blatantly out of his league.

It didn't matter though, the neighbours called the cops on them, Connor snapped at the officer attending and threatened them with insubordination before sending them packing. Amends obviously needed to be made and even though Sixty was still fuming, he at least had the good sense and grace to know when and where to fight. Mostly. Which was how he had sent Connor to the precinct with a tray of brownies to at least initiate a conversation towards an apology. Meanwhile, he'd had Nines look up an address and was now getting out of the taxi with a casserole dish. Just because he was being the responsible one didn't mean he couldn't be an asshole along with it. With a deep breath to gather his wits and plaster a smile on, he rang the doorbell.

Gavin had wanted to report Connor to the precinct for dangerous driving and assault of a fellow officer, but Hank and Allen overruled him. The last thing Allen wanted was to make this into a proper feud at work, and Hank had also rightfully pointed out that any attention to their motorcycle gang activities at work might not go over well.

No, instead Allen had let Hank drive him home and had called in sick, taking the day to nurse his bruises and his bruised emotions. He had settled down from the rage he felt right after, and was now mostly just feeling sorry for himself as he limped around the house and watched mindless tv. Not like he had many other friends outside of his bike gang and squad.

When the doorbell rang, Allen looked down at himself to make sure he was presentable for whatever door to door salesperson this must be. Sweats and whatever band T-shirt he had grabbed first, yeah, that was fine. His hair wasn’t exactly perfect, but he didn’t really care. Pulling open the door, he froze when he came face to face with Sixty.

Before, Sixty had only ever really seen Allen put together and imposing. Be it in his riding wear, work uniform or assault gear. Always impeccably dressed and not a hair out of place. Now though? This was a softer side of him that made Sixty's mouth run dry.

"Surprise!" He managed to greet Allen and thrust the covered casserole dish towards him. Under the foil was a literal olive branch but that was for Allen to discover at his own pace.

Allen’s brain ground to a total halt as he stared at Sixty and his casserole dish. He was so stunned that he took the offered dish before he could really think about it, stiffly holding it close to his body. Eventually though, his brain caught up and he managed to speak.

“Not sending your brother after me this time?” Allen snapped, annoyance the first emotion to surface.

"The only place I sent him is the doghouse. If I had issues with you, I would have come after you myself. And you wouldn't have walked away with a few pretty little bruises." He nodded to the one poking out from under Allen's sleeve - his leathers had kept any scraping and cuts at bay but it hadn't done much for the bruising that no doubt went down his side too.

"Thanks for not pressing charges by the way," he offered a lot more softly. "If Connor were to lose his job over this, I don't know what would have happened to him." It was as quiet an admission he was ever going to make, Allen could do whatever he wanted with it.

Allen’s anger drained out of him in a slow tide as he heard Sixty’s soft admission of thanks. He could tell just how much the other man didn’t want to have to be vulnerable, and well...he couldn’t blame him. Allen wasn’t exactly the most emotionally available himself.

Letting out a long, slow sigh, Allen stepped back from the door to allow Sixty to step in if he wanted. Standing wasn’t the most pleasant for him right now, and if the other man was willing to give some ground, Allen would match that. 

“There’s no need for this to escalate further.” He admitted, “It was a childish mistake, no one has to lose their job over it.” Glancing at Sixty’s hand, he added, “And I hope you aren’t in too much pain over it.”

The invitation in took Sixty by surprise. He stepped in before he could think twice about it. 

"The only pain I have is in my ass because of my brother." He said and frowned. "Wait. No. That came out horribly wrong!"

Shrugging, he cast Allen as assessing look.

"Is it your hip or coccyx giving you trouble?"

Allen chuckled at Sixty’s little fumble, but it was good-natured instead of gloating. “Oh, so you’re asking if I’ve got any pain in  _ my _ ass now?” He teased. He wasn’t sure why, but it felt so easy to just slip back into being more relaxed around Sixty.

“I mean, my whole left side is bruised to hell, so I guess that left hip counts there.” He answered more seriously, “But nothing that a few days of limping won’t fix.”

Eye rolling was Sixty's second favourite hobby and he indulged in it gratuitously at Allen's words.

"You been checked over by a doctor?" He asked and before Allen even had a chance to reply, he was plowing on. "Didn't think so, so come on. Let someone who actually knows shit have a look."

He was shepherding Allen towards the sofa, refusing to take no for an answer.

It seemed like in the last few days, Allen had been nothing but surprised by Sixty. He certainly hadn’t expected to be suddenly fussed over like this, not after all that weird tension at the bar and the morgue. 

But he was too tired to really fight it, and some part of him felt like it was kinda nice to be worried about. Setting the casserole dish aside, Allen laid down and chuckled as he looked up at Sixty. “I thought you didn’t do live patients. Or am I your first test case?”

"A body is a body, you will hopefully just wriggle more." Sixty guided Allen to sit down, watching him with a critical eye. "And I did have to go through medical school to do my job so..."

As much as Sixty wanted to say he was doing it purely out of a professional concern, there was no denying that he was also curious to see what Allen was like under his shirt. The turtleneck the previous day had been quite the teaser and he was eager to see more.

Allen gave a joking wiggle when prompted, then immediately regretted it when one of his sore spots flared up in pain. He winced, but managed to still shoot Sixty what he hoped was a cheeky grin. “Tell me it straight then doc, am I gonna be alright?”

He definitely shouldn’t be laying here letting Sixty probably just gratuitously grope him. He shouldn’t, but he was going to. Allen had always been bad about letting himself trust too much, and this seemed like a genuine attempt on Sixty’s part to make things up to him - whether that was with a legitimate physical or something a bit more scandalous.

Eye roll number 4 of the last 2 minutes made its appearance and Sixty tried to hold back his grin.

"You were never alright to begin with. But I'm afraid this is terminal." He lost the battle against the grin. "You have terminal stage 5 dumbassery."

All things considered, Allen wasn't all that bad. Perhaps a bit of an idiot and definitely too cocky for his own good but quite possibly better than Sixty had thought until now. Looking over the bruising, it was pretty extensive and a few prods showed that while sore, nothing was too damaged.

"I'll get you some ice packs. Will I find any in the kitchen freezer?"

Allen managed a matching eye roll and let his head flop back into the sofa dramatically. “Oh god I’m too beautiful to die!” He exclaimed, unable to stop the laughter from shaking his chest. It was definitely both weird and slightly hot to have Sixty’s hands poking and prodding around on his torso while his T-shirt was pushed up around his collarbone. 

Allen was fairly stoic for the rest of the examination, only letting out a soft hiss as certain very sore spots got prodded. When Sixty got up to go get ice, Allen lifted his head again, replying “Yeah, there’s a set in there.” What with having a physically intense job, he always had use for some ice packs.

While on the surface Sixty was absolutely just getting ice packs, he also took the chance to have a bit of a snoop. Part of him had to smile at the plate set on the dryer.

In the freezer he grinned at finding ice cream and a few frozen home cooked meals carefully labelled. Whether it was Allen's own doing or someone else, he was going to have to find out.

It was a quick search that revealed a collection of patterned tea towels he wrapped the ice packs in. Sauntering back in he knelt next to the sofa.

"You're at my mercy for the next 20 minutes." He did his best to give an evil smirk. "And nice choice of ice cream by the way."

Allen’s home was clean and neat, but it had strange touches of personality to it. The tea towels, for example, and the colorful mug collection that Sixty could spot if he peeked around in the cabinets. There was a bit more clutter than usual, but Allen would blame that on his injuries and not on the weird mental state he had been in due to his escapades with Sixty. 

“Ah, I should have known you only came over to steal my ice cream.” Allen said with a chuckle, “And here I am, helpless and at your mercy. I won’t be able to do anything if you decide to eat straight out of the carton like a monster.” Secretly he was amazed at the fact that Sixty had so clearly announced his intention to stick around so long. He must really feel bad.

That almost sounded like an invitation for more. As tempting as it was, Sixty wasn't certain what was going on between them so didn't rise to it. Well, not the way Allen might have been angling for.

"Didn't have you pegged as one to have a kink for doctor-patient role plays." Then he considered the rest of what Allen had said.

"You mean you live by yourself but don't enjoy to perk of slobbing out on a sofa, awful TV and a carton of ice cream while in pyjamas? What kind of deprived life have you led?! Nothing for it, we are remedying it."

He leapt up and made himself at home in the kitchen, looking for two spoons and grabbed the ice cream from the freezer.

"Doctor's orders," he announced and looked around for the remote to throw at Allen.

Internally, he was yelling at himself, asking what the hell he was up to. Usually, Allen was rubbing him the wrong way. But seeing this more vulnerable side was making something stir in him and Sixty was utterly confused and at a loss as to what to do.

Allen honestly wasn’t sure what he was doing either. Just two or three hours earlier he had been seething at the mere thought of Sixty and his shitty brothers. He had been this close to punching the man when he showed up with a casserole dish, and yet now here he was, laughing and joking with him on the sofa?

Maybe it was the fact that he was in pain, Allen mused. Or maybe that Sixty wasn’t actually being a rude abrasive asshole, more just...a kind of bratty jokester. Maybe, the very quiet part of his brain whispered, it was the memory of that sweet soft praise under the desk that was making him so relaxed. Allen shut that part up  _ immediately. _

Anyways, it wasn’t like he had a good reason to kick the man out right now, he was just helping... “Hey now, some of us watch tv and eat ice cream out of a nice bowl so their hands don’t get wet!” He protested, propping himself up with a grin nonetheless. Allen reached behind him and grabbed the remote, tossing it to Sixty with the order “Show me the worst shit you watch.”

It was a challenge, that was for certain. Sixty grabbed the remote and urged Allen to lie back down with a hand on his chest.

"I wonder how you think you have lived until now," he haughtily mused out loud. "It seems you need schooling in every aspect of life."

He sat down on the floor next to the sofa, back resting against it, the ice cream carton wedged between his knees as he looked for the trashiest show he could think of.

Once satisfied, he settled back and grabbed the spoons, shoving one at Allen.

"Think you can be a big boy and feed yourself? Or does the choo choo train need to make an appearance?" Sixty twisted so the carton was within easy reach of both of them.

Allen happily laid back and got as comfortable as possible with his side aching and a big cold pack pressing up against him. The cool seeping into his skin was honestly already helping the pain from the bruises, and he wondered why he hadn't done this already.

Allen resisted the urge to snap at Sixty's haughty accusations, but then decided on a much better course of action. If Sixty was going to treat him like an idiot  _ and _ an invalid, then he was going to make him work for it.

"Ah, I dunno...I've never used one of these before." He said, holding up the spoon with mock surprise, "And my side hurts so bad...Can't you just feed me?" He opened his mouth slightly, daring Sixty to give up on this charade. They both enjoyed playing chicken with each other, this was just another version of it.

It seemed that Allen was full of surprises. While Sixty had been planning on spoon feeding him ice cream at some point as a show of superiority (not at all caretaking. Nope. Sixty was not a caretaker at heart. Promise.), it was now being offered and the one upmanship was taken out of it.

"I swear all they teach you at SWAT school is how to look beefy," he grumbled and dug his spoon into the carton for a larger than probably advisable load. "Can you open your mouth nice and wide to take it like a good boy?" His voice was sickeningly sweet. The look of indignation and mouth opening in retort was all the opportunity he needed to cram the large load of ice cream into Allen's mouth.

Allen really should have expected Sixty to be less than gentle when he fed him the ice cream, but it still caught him off guard. He choked a bit before managing to gulp down the large mouthful, still enjoying the flavor despite the slight brain freeze. Swallowing, he licked his lips and grinned at Sixty.

“Your bedside manner could use a little work. But I think we’ve established I can take whatever you have to offer” he said with a wink.

"Oh, is that so?" Sixty set the carton to the side and knelt up to look over Allen suggestively. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you got a taste for it and now crave more."

He loomed over Allen, all but daring him to take things further, escalate or back down like a coward.

Allen raised an eyebrow at the challenge, because that’s clearly what this was now. He didn’t particularly get how this was going to work from this angle, but he decided to make Sixty worry about that. He was just going to lay back and enjoy himself. 

“And if I didn’t know better I’d say you enjoyed yourself so much you can’t stay away.” Allen teased right back, looking up unblinkingly at Sixty.

Seeing Allen lie back so languidly like a sunbathing cat with an unblinking stare, only one thought crossed Sixty's mind.  _ Don't lick his eyeball. Don't lick his eyeball. _ The odd temptation was far too real but he managed to change course and left a long cow lick along Allen's cheek, tongue rasping against the lightest of stubble.

"You need to drink more," he announced. "Your sweat is too concentrated. Trust me, I'm a doctor."

So that was a bit weird but if Sixty could play it off as another show of domination, he was going to just roll with it.

Of all the things Allen had expected, being licked like that was  _ definitely _ not one of them. He tensed up, eyes wide and mouth slightly open as he stared up at Sixty. The total shock gave way to laughter at the ridiculous nature of the situation very quickly though, Allen laughing despite the twinges of pain that shot through his side.

"Sure, okay doc, get me some water then?" He managed to get out between chuckles, grinning up at Sixty. It seemed like no matter how hard he tried, he just wasn't going to be able to get a read on this guy.

For the first time in his life, Sixty appeared to be obedient. He got up and walked to the kitchen but, along with water, he decided that some painkillers wouldn't be out of order either. Plus, he could learn a lot about a person by having a good rummage through their medicine box. He really hoped he wasn't going to find a whole bunch of homeopathic herbs and nothing else. Even if that would give him an impressive amount of ammunition against Allen.

"I've been meaning to ask," he said as he walked back through with water and a box of pills in hand. "You look pretty banged up. How's your bike looking?"

Allen had honestly been expecting more fuss from Sixty, so when he just got up and headed out, Allen was suddenly suspicious. The medicine cabinet wasn't full of anything too incriminating - just aspirin, ibuprofen, and various other pain medications. A small box of allergy pills were also sitting in a corner. 

Allen groaned when Sixty brought up his bike, saying "Not great. I'm gonna have to get a whole new paint job, plus the tailpipe is all bent out of shape." More than his own injuries, the damage to his bike had made him furious. He held out a hand for the water and pills, adding "You're not trying to poison me with these, right?"

"They were in your medicine drawer, you got them out the box. You tell me. If I had wanted to bump you off, I'd give you an allergic reaction. What is it? Pollen? Bug bites?" Sixty couldn't help the playful smile. He hummed in contemplation as Allen listed the issues with his bike. If didn't sound great but nothing functionally major.

"If you can still ride her- him- it? Whatever. If it's road safe, give me a week while you recover. This was Connor's fault, he'll pay for it. Do you insist on a boring black? The three of you are like cosplayers who wanted to do horsemen of the apocalypse but you all turned up as Death."

Allen rolled his eyes - of course Sixty had been snooping. “Cats, actually. Every time we have to go to Gavin’s place for anything I can’t stop sneezing.” He admitted, taking the pills and swallowing them down with water. 

Sixty’s offer to repair the bike surprised him again, but Allen covered that pretty well. “Hey, the black is sleek and attractive.” He protested, “At least we don’t look like we let the nearest toddler pick out crayon colors for our gear.” He couldn’t help a bit of a grin at the bit about looking like Death, that was a cool image. Not that he’d admit that, Sixty would never let him live it down. “I’ll be trusting you to keep her safe.” He added, “I don’t let just anyone ride around on my bike.”

"No pretty kitty in your life then. Now I understand why you bristled at the idea of a collar so much." Sixty had the audacity to wink. "And your baby will be safe with me, don't worry."

He settled back on the floor next to the sofa with a little grin, the TV playing mindless drivel in the background. It felt altogether too comfortable with Allen. Usually, he didn't feel so at ease in anyone's home other than his own and his brothers'.

"No kitties or babies in my life, no." Allen replied with a chuckle. He wasn't opposed to collar play necessarily, just to the idea of allowing Sixty to dominate him so obviously.

It was weird how easy the silence was after that last little exchange. Allen fell back into relaxing in a way that he wasn't sure he had ever managed with another person in the room. It wasn't like he and Hank and Gavin regularly just quietly hung out. 

After a little while, he looked down to say something to Sixty and saw the other man had fallen asleep propped up against the sofa. A dreadfully fond smile spread across his face at seeing Sixty so...relaxed. He so rarely seemed that way when he was awake.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has a little nap softened Sixty's mood even more? What's in that casserole dish? These questions and many more will be answered in this new chapter ;D

The room was warm, there was background noise and Sixty hadn't really slept well the previous night. So he couldn't really be blamed for nodding off. He was in the middle of a dream where he and Nines were setting up a giant mousetrap for Gavin who had whiskers and a tail when a shrill ringing sound woke him with a start. It was coming from his pocket and he fumbled it, picking up with a slightly garbled "hello?" all while sending Allen a grumpy frown.

"No he hasn't killed me.

"Yes I'm still there. And you should tell Connor - Oh hey Connor, you need to make arrangements, I'm bringing your shame to you."

The conversation went on for a few more minutes, Sixty slumped over his knees and blinking sleepily as he picked at the thread in his trousers. He finally put the phone down with an unrepentant glare and a fierce "what?"

If Allen had been in reach of his phone, he would have taken a picture for future blackmail opportunities. As it was, he found himself sitting and simply watching Sixty sleep. That wasn't creepy, right? He snapped his eyes away when the other man woke up, pretending to be interested in the TV again.

Allen couldn't help but snicker at the idea of Nines on the other end of the phone, all prim and buttoned up, chatting to Sixty as he was sitting here on the floor of Allen's house. When he got that glare, Allen simply grinned back, replying "You're much more pleasant when you're asleep, that's all."

Pulling a pouting frown at that, Sixty tried to have a quick comeback but he was too sleepy to do better than "at least I have my pleasant moments." It was, unfortunately, ruined by a jaw cracking yawn he tried to hide in the crook of his elbow.

"I have a life to be getting on with rather than play nursemaid to a loser," he grumbled along with his stomach.

Allen’s grin only widened as he watched Sixty sleepily defend himself. There just wasn’t any sting to his little snaps when he was so soft and vulnerable looking. 

“You’re welcome to have some casserole before you go.” Allen mentioned, gesturing towards the dish, “It’s a lot for me to eat, and you have been working  _ so _ hard here.” He punctuated his sarcasm with a little wink.

"Please insert your own pun about being hard here, I'm too tired to make one up," Sixty grumbled. He reached for the dish and tried to hide his wince when the sore muscles protested. Out of stubborn refusal to look weak, he continued to reach.

"I see how it is. Make me cook, make me serve. Next you'll be wanting me in a maid outfit and cleaning I guess?" He gave Allen his best leer.

Allen noticed, because of course he noticed. He was trained to watch and analyze people out in the field, Sixty wasn't going to pull a fast one on him like that. Allen reached down and gently bopped him on the top of the head, saying "Stop that. I'll get up and get the dish, you're gonna hurt yourself again and then both your brothers will be out for blood." 

As he struggled up into a sitting position, Allen simply waggled his eyebrows suggestively, replying "I certainly wouldn't say no to that. I'm assuming you already own the outfit then?"

Sometimes it really wasn't difficult to convince Sixty to sit still. Truth be told, his arm had kept him up half the night but he was far too bull headed to admit it to anyone. It was just pulled muscles, time would heal it.

"Wouldn’t you just love to know what outfits I own?" he smiled back before realising his was grinning and turning it into a glare. Still, he put a hand to Allen' back, helping guide him up. It would also give him a chance to change the ice packs.

Allen was used to being sore after particularly bad missions out in the field, whereas Sixty was just a lab rat. He didn't trust him at all not to overdo things and get seriously hurt. Then Allen really would have to look out for assassination attempts from the brothers. 

"Well it sounds like you're eager to show them off." Allen teased back, trying not to think about the warm hand on his back, "Although given your fashion sense while riding..."

Really, Allen just made it too easy.

"I am fashionable no matter what I ride," he intoned seriously.

Really, he wasn't even lying. He looked great in leathers of all kinds. It was just something Allen was going to have to imagine by himself though, he hadn't earned the privilege of seeing that kind of get up. Yet.

Eagerly, he craned his neck to see what Allen would do when he saw the dish.

Allen grunted as he realized just how easily he had walked into that one. He couldn't even be too mad about it. Pretending he wasn't imagining Sixty in BDSM gear this very moment, he finally reached the casserole dish and lifted the foil to see just what was in there. Would it be edible? Homemade? Store bought?

There was a long, long period of silence as Allen took in the stick sitting inside the empty casserole dish. Finally, he heaved a deep sigh and shook his head. "You sneaky piece of shit. You bought your way into my house without even bothering to bring me a decent casserole!"

Eyes lighting up in delight, Sixty clapped gleefully. Though the joke had backfired a little because he was kind of hungry. Remorse wasn't something he felt often but suddenly, his little trick didn't feel as funny, not when both he and Allen were hungry and hurting.

"Tell me what I brought you instead and I'll see about sharing a takeaway with you," he bargained. Not many people knew their plants and he didn't have high hopes for someone like Allen guessing it.

Allen was already mentally weighing the pros and cons of calling for takeout or just eating one of his frozen meals. He made and froze them specially for days when he was just too sore or tired after work and riding, and this seemed like one of those days. Sixty could go back home and do whatever he liked to fix his own empty stomach, Allen thought bitterly. 

He picked up the branch and thoughtfully turned it around in his hand, trying to figure out the meaning more than identify the plant. That he didn't have much chance of doing successfully. But.... "Did you bring me a literal fucking olive branch?" Allen asked incredulously. If so, it was an almost admirable prank.

"I don't know if that was a lucky guess it if you have hidden talent and intellect under all that muscle," Sixty actually beamed. "I am an entity of my word so, guess takeaway is on me. Chinese sound good to you?"

He was already reaching for his phone, pulling up the menu of his favourite place and shoving it towards Allen.

Allen wasn’t about to let on that he had gotten lucky, instead grinning triumphantly as he took the phone. “I can’t wait to eat you out of house and home,” he said with a chuckle. 

Of course he managed to fat finger the phone when he was handed it, pressing the home button and getting an eyeful of Sixty posed seductively in some kind of robe. Allen’s mouth went dry and he attempted to navigate away, only managing to turn the phone off and be confronted by a totally different photo of the three brothers making dumb faces.

Shame was not something Sixty was on first name basis with. He saw Allen's reaction to his background and quietly preened.

"Told you I'm fashionable, no matter what I ride," he teased. "Do you need my passcode to get back to the page you need to pick food? Or have you already decided what you want to feast upon after a glance?"

Allen swallowed hard and tried to compose himself. He really didn't want to give Sixty the pleasure of 'winning' yet another conversational exchange. 

"You'll have to open up the menu again, I think I'm in the mood for a full meal and not just an appetizer" He teased right back. Although he couldn't get the picture of Sixty in that outfit out of his head, no matter how hard he tried...

So Allen wanted a full meal. Pulling his phone into his hands and shielding it from sight, Sixty opened up his photos to a very specific album.

"You need to scroll left to see the complete menu," he said as innocently as he could muster.

Damn this incredibly shameless, incredibly hot man standing in front of him. Dammit dammit dammit. That was all that was running through Allen's head right now as he stared at the clearly very well planned out photoshoot Sixty had just handed him.

Doing his best to ignore the stir of interest in his sweatpants, Allen flipped through the selection with as straight a face as he could manage. Occasionally he let out a thoughtful hum as if he were considering an actual menu, when really all he was doing was staring at the expanse of Sixty's legs.

The wait for a reaction was killing him but Sixty could play along. He couldn't decide whether to feign innocent mistake or shameless flirting. In the end, he decided to go with both.

"Is the menu not to your liking? They do the thighs really nicely if you're after recommendation." He made a show of glancing over at the phone with an exaggerated gasp.

"Oh my goodness, did I really open that up by accident? I'm such a kluzt. This wasn't for your eyes at all, after all, I know your taste run more brutish than this."

He eyed Allen for a reaction, waiting to see what his next move would be.

Two could play at this game. Allen feigned surprise right along with Sixty, looking over at him and asking "Oh, so this wasn't an elaborate way of asking me to pick out what lingerie set you should wear tomorrow under your work clothes? A shame, this light blue set manages to make you look pretty decent." 

He handed the phone back with a dramatic sigh, adding "Just order me some sweet and sour chicken and lo mein, I'm feeling pretty hungry now."

If only Sixty could say for certain just what Allen was hungry for. Instead, he made an educated guess. But first, he needed to order their food - despite his threats, it was looking like Allen was a cheap date. Not date. Allen was his dearly detested. His beloved nemesis. Anyway, order placed, Sixty turned to face him.

"It will be another half an hour until delivery. I guess I could give you an appetiser to tide you over if you're so hungry. Seemed pretty keen yesterday." He not so subtly grabbed his crotch to make his meaning absolutely clear.

Allen had no intention of arguing Sixty out of buying them dinner. What shame was there in not buying dinner for a man who had essentially broken into his home to bully him? None at all, Allen thought smugly as he watched Sixty punch the order into his phone.

A chuckle died halfway up his throat as Sixty fondled himself to really drive the implication home. He had to take a few deep breaths to steady himself before speaking, just to make sure he didn't sound quite so horny right away. "I suppose I could be tempted...But I'm not getting on my knees in this state, I'm afraid your brother has taken that off the menu."

Hook, line and sinker. Sixty really hadn't thought Allen would go for it but he wasn't going to complain about his dick getting sucked. After all, it wasn't going to suck itself.

"Kneeling is so yesterday's fashion," he shrugged easily. "What did you have in mind?" Even as he spoke, he was crowding closer to Allen, backing him up against the counter with a dark gaze.

If Sixty was going to push, then Allen was going to push as well. Why not see just how far he could get this little minx to go? He let Sixty push him back against the counter, then stopped and smirked at him once they were almost nose to nose.

"Why don't you show me just how good you are at riding? I could use a good sit down, my hip is starting to hurt."

"You don't want to wait until I'm in my riding gear?" Sixty purred, tilting his head, seeing whether Allen was desperate enough to take the bait and kiss him. "If you swing by the morgue tomorrow, I might just be in the light blue lingerie set you ordered."

Allen's eyes definitely strayed to Sixty's lips, but he was making a concerted effort to control himself. "Mmmm...Maybe I could be tempted to wait for that." He admitted. The idea of forcing Sixty to wear lingerie all day just for the  _ possibility _ that Allen would stop by was too good to pass up.

That just wasn't going to do. Sixty leaned forward, his lips brushed against Allen's cheek before resting a hair's breadth from his ear. Warm breath ghosted over Allen's skin no doubt as he spoke.

"I need you to promise you will come by. And you know how promises are sealed with a kiss." Slowly, he pulled back once he was certain Allen had a chance to process his words. Then he could add a kicker. "If you do, I will make sure your lunch hour won't be wasted on just looking at a pretty young thing."

As quickly as he could manage with his bruises, Allen snagged Sixty by the collar of his shirt and didn't let Sixty pull back all that far. Instead, he pulled him in for a kiss that was just shy of bruising. "Consider it a promise then." He murmured, smirking against Sixty's lips once they parted.

Allen did realize that they hadn't solved the whole 'dick sucking' business yet, but he didn't mind a bit of a leadup.

Not to be dramatic but the kiss almost stole Sixty's breath away. He pressed bodily against Allen, seeking out his lips to get more of the same. Wrapping arms around his back, a hand fisted in Allen's hair and pulled, hopefully hard enough to make him gasp so Sixty could lick into his mouth.

With Allen's head already tilted up to get better access to Sixty's mouth (honestly who gave him the right to be stupid tall?), it wasn't hard to make him open his mouth with a tug. An embarrassing noise escaped Allen at the same time, his body very much enjoying that stimulation.

Perfect. Sixty pushed closer, their bodies flush and he slotted a thigh between Allen's legs. It also meant his cock was pressing insistently against Allen, there was no hiding the fact that he was half mast already. He wondered idly whether he should give them the satisfaction of chasing an orgasm or if he should deny them until tomorrow lunchtime. Getting Allen nicely worked up but not following through might be incentive enough to guarantee he did turn up as promised.

Allen could feel the insistent hardness pressing up against his leg, and he was sure Sixty could feel his own interest as well. Even though he knew Sixty had tricked him in the past, Allen was dumb enough not to hold back. He rutted idly against the leg on offer, humming low in his throat as the kiss deepened. His hands were now wrapped around Sixty in return, holding him close.

Realistically, Sixty knew he wasn't a small guy but having Allen's hands wrapped around him made him feel almost dainty. A part of him loved it and he pressed closer, wanting to feel more. Breaking from the kiss, he looked at Allen with wide blown eyes.

"Were you serious about wanting to suck me off?" he asked, trying to tamp down on the temptation to dominate Allen just for once. If it meant those sinful lips wrapped around him, he was willing to do almost anything.

Allen appreciated the fact that he was still able to feel big against Sixty despite the height difference. The muscle mass just gave him that edge he needed to keep ahold of his fragile pride. He sucked in a few breaths of much needed air and watched how obviously aroused Sixty was after just a few kisses. Sure, he was the same, but that also fed into his ego.

"Yeah, I was serious." Allen replied, voice already sinking lower in anticipation, "But you might need to sit your ass up on this counter, cause I really cannot bend my knees like that today."

No need to encourage him more, Sixty hopped up onto the counter and spread his legs invitingly. He was more than happy to have Allen step between them to continue making out for a short minute or two. Reaching down, Sixty palmed Allen through his sweatpants.

"Think you can multitask and get yourself off too?" He wasn't gasping, his voice didn't buckle when Allen nipped at his neck. Instead, he opened his flies and shoved his trousers and underwear down, cock springing free.

Allen gladly stepped in and began giving Sixty a bit of a taste of his own medicine as he nipped and sucked across his neck. Maybe  _ he'd _ be the one in a turtleneck come tomorrow. Also it was damn satisfying to kiss at Sixty's neck and hear him react like that.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not gonna let you leave me hanging again." Allen murmured, one hand reaching down to take himself in hand as he adjusted his stance and shuffled down slightly to get close enough to lick gently along the length of Sixty's dick. It was a weird angle, but nothing too bad.

It was a sight to behold and Sixty bit back on a moan.

"I don't think I left you hanging yesterday. Though I still want my spare trousers back." It was a miracle he managed to remember that or anything else really outside of Allen's tongue against his dick. "Fuck, I swear you were made for this.'

He gripped Allen's hair lightly, not directing but certainly encouraging. "You feel good already, my wonderful little cock slut." The praise was easy enough to shower on him, mixed with just the slightest of digs at who was in power again.

Allen had never really been left hanging in the past few days, but for some reason he had never felt really satisfied after their encounters. Maybe it was that Sixty was always digging at him over the power dynamic. Like he wasn't the one asking for a blowjob that Allen was very graciously giving him.

He chuckled softly, murmuring "I am a man of many talents." before properly taking Sixty into his mouth. It wasn't like this was a big hardship for him, he wasn't afraid to admit he quite liked sucking dick. And Sixty so far hadn't done anything dumb, like try to fuck into his mouth without warning.

The angle of it all wasn't the best, Sixty's feet were dangling off the floor so he had no real leverage to do anything but be at Allen's mercy. However, he could always urge him along with words.

"You certainly have two talents at least. Being an ass and sucking cock." He shouldn't have so readily admitted that, should have said Allen was mediocre at sucking dick at best to goad him into trying even harder. However, Sixty could be excused because in that moment he was definitely not thinking with his brain.

"Make as much of a mess as you want. I like it sloppy." His hand moved from Allen's hair to his cheek, fingers brushing against the back of his neck.

Whatever else he could say or do was cut off by the doorbell. Cursing up a storm, Sixty growled.

Allen could already feel that he was going to have a crick in the back of his neck from this, but he couldn't quite bring himself to care. He let Sixty's goading words wash over him, proceeding at his own moderate pace. He intended to have a bit of buildup before he began to show off again, making the other man wait for it at least.

Allen's own hand worked at a similar pace, although he did speed up ever-so-slightly as Sixty began to essentially pet at his cheek and neck. Something about that was going straight to his cock.

When the doorbell rang, Allen nearly choked in surprise, pulling off with a wet pop and cursing up a matching storm. "Fuck, we waited around too long." He hissed, trying to wipe off his mouth and tuck himself back into his sweatpants at the same time.

Hopping off the counter with a near feral growl, Sixty hoisted his trousers up and pushed past Allen.

"I'll sort it," he snarled, not caring that it wasn't his house. His blowjob had been interrupted and he was pissed. Yanking the door open he glared darkly at the delivery guy.

"What?" He snapped when give a startled look. "You're early."

Afraid that Sixty was going to get him banned from the delivery route, Allen followed him to the door, forgetting to unruffle his hair before he appeared behind the other man.

The delivery guy was at first just surprised, mouth opening in shock and posture going defensive. But as he looked between the two obviously sexed up men in front of him, a slow smirk worked its way over his face. “Maybe so, but maybe we can work something out to make up for my mistake?” He asked, clearly testing the water and trying his luck to get invited in for a threeway.

While Sixty had been livid until that moment, he was enraged now. Allen was his and only his to tease and bully. Nobody else had the right to lay a hand on him because Sixty had already made his claim.

Something like a growl rumbled through his chest as he bodily stood between the delivery guy and Allen. He snatched the bag and passed it behind him, not breaking eye contact with the unintentional intruder.

"Stay out of this," he hissed to Allen as he took the food. "Your first mistake was being early. Your second mistake was to think you can take what's mine." He was rolling up his sleeves. "There will be no third mistake."

Allen had opened his own mouth to chew out this annoying piece of shit, but he found his jaw clicked shut in total surprise as Sixty snapped like that. He certainly wasn’t a small or helpless man, and he hadn’t really dated or fooled around with anyone particularly possessive...hearing Sixty growl out ‘mine’ like that unexpectedly went straight to his dick.

Some part of Allen knew he should be offended by Sixty pushing him aside like some damsel in distress. But the majority of his thoughts were concerned with the warmth unexpectedly blooming in his chest, and the blood rushing south. He couldn’t do much more than stare, holding the delivery close to him.

The delivery good held up his hands defensively, backing up and muttering “Jesus christ dude, chill out! I am so not getting paid enough to get beat up by a jealous boyfriend.” He turned tail as soon as he was out of reach, booking it back to his shitty car and peeling out into the street.

Turning with a satisfied grin, Sixty could only smirk.

"See how he ran? Pathetic. Jealous boyfriend my ass." He looked over at Allen and his brows pulled low, grin melting into a frown. "You okay there? Looking a little shell shocked. Don't tell me you wanted to suck his dick too? Shit. Do I have to call him back for you?"

The unsaid  _ am I not enough for you? _ circled Sixty's mind but he refused to even acknowledge it.

Allen did several things in very quick succession, his body moving on autopilot. He set the takeout bag haphazardly down on the nearest flat surface, grabbed Sixty by the collar, and pinned him to the door. This time, instead of getting up on his tiptoes he simply dragged the other man’s mouth down to meet his own in a crushing kiss.

Anything that could possibly leave his mouth at this point was probably going to be embarrassing or incriminating, so Allen let his actions speak for the raw feeling pulsing in his chest.

A detached part of Sixty's mind could only hum a small  _ interesting _ before he left the thought drift in favour of kissing back, hands working down to Allen's thighs and hoisting him up so he didn't have to keep bending down. Taking a few steps away from the door, he looked at Allen darkly.

"Tell me where I'm taking you." He had meant whether they were going to put a halt to the whole thing and eat while the food was still hot or whether they were going to continue making out. However, in hindsight, the only sensible answer to his question was "bent over the back of the sofa" if he was honest with himself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Allen and Sixty are _finally_ gonna get it on properly! Maybe this time they'll use a bed like normal people? Or will the universe conspire against them again?

Allen was quite frankly  _ amazed _ that Sixty could manage to hoist him up like this, especially with his busted arm. Maybe he had underestimated the guy’s strength after all. He certainly wasn’t complaining, hooking one leg slightly around Sixty’s waist to pull them more flush together.

“Fuck it. Bedroom’s down the hall off the living room.” Allen huffed out, his resolve to keep Sixty waiting till tomorrow melting in the face of whatever was going on right now. Message delivered, he leaned back in to return to that kiss.

Sometimes it was worth putting up with pain to show off. Even as Sixty's shoulder screamed in protest, he was determined to prove to Allen that he could...he didn't even know what he was trying to prove. But he was proving it.

Moving down the hall, he pushed the door open with his back, intent on leaving yet another deep purple mark on Allen's neck. At this stage he was definitely looking like he'd been mauled and not even a turtleneck could hide it.

Bearing Allen's bruises in mind, Sixty carefully lowered him down onto the bed rather than throw him and crawled over him, pushing him into the mattress.

Allen really should have cared more about the way Sixty was practically gnawing at his neck, but he just couldn’t muster up the energy to do so. Instead he just groaned out a “Fuck, you’re wicked when you put that mouth to better use than talking.”

Allen definitely appreciated the soft letdown onto the bed, although he refused to admit it. Instead, he reached up and looped his arms around Sixty’s neck, pulling him down with a breathy “Hey, give that arm a rest, lemme take over for a bit.”

It wasn't like Sixty needed permission to take it easy. He was more than content to let Allen do all the work. In fact, it had been his plan all along. Rolling off to the side, he flopped gracelessly onto the mattress.

"If you want something, you've got to work for it." He was aiming for haughty dismissal but it all came out like a breathless plea.

Allen chuckled as he sat up, half to mask the wince of pain and half in amusement at how hard Sixty was trying to make it seem like he was not incredibly horny right now. It had been his idea to take this somewhere in the first place. 

Straddling Sixty, Allen took a few casual moments to test just how much grinding he could manage before his hip complained - it was just enough it seemed. “Some of us aren’t afraid of a little work.” He teased in reply, biting his own lip as he felt Sixty’s dick against his ass.

"A little work?" Sixty cocked an eyebrow. "You'll need a lot of work to take me," he boasted. Even if it took a lot of self control not to moan at the way Allen was rubbing against him. 

His hands found their way to Allen's hips all the same, guided him a little before remembering the bruises. "Perhaps too much work." That was all the warning he gave before flipping them to the right.

Allen yelped a little in surprise as he was flipped, whatever retort he was cooking up dying in his throat. He was somewhat taken aback that Sixty had managed to flip them into his good side - was that intentional? No, couldn’t be...that was too thoughtful. 

Allen slotted one leg between Sixty’s so he could continue to rub against him, rumbling out a “I don’t think it will be that much work at all.” Sure, Sixty was big, but not  _ that _ big.

The hummed "look who sounds like a loose holed cock slut" was lost in the efforts of pulling Allen's t-shirt over his head. Sixty straddled his hips, eyes wide as he took in the tattoos. Holy shit.

"You're perfect," he breathed, gaze never straying from the black ink. Reverently, Sixty reached to touch them, trace the one around Allen's bicep before leaning forward and running a tongue over it.

Allen had thought Sixty would tease him for the monochrome lines and shapes he had scattered across his shoulders and chest. Maybe get in another dig about 'cosplaying death; or being boring. What he hadn't expected was for him to breathe out praise and straight up  _ lick _ the tattoo.

Allen groaned, the actions going straight down to his dick. One hand came up to rest on the back of Sixty’s neck, following but not guiding as he licked along the tattoos. "That tongue of yours is wicked."

There was no denying the way Sixty's cock twitched, trapped as it was between them.

"It can do so much more than deliver a lashing," he promised and returned to kissing and laving the tattoo on Allen's chest. "You're full of so many surprises."

His hands were roaming lower, fingers light against any bruising and settled the waistband of Allen's sweatpants. At that point, Sixty looked up at him, checking that they were still on the same page.

Allen hummed pleasantly as Sixty’s tongue busied itself on his chest. His fingers continued to squeeze gently at Sixty’s neck, encouraging him to continue without actually saying so. When his head popped up though, Allen paused and loosened his grip.

“Be my guest” He said with a chuckle and a bit of a lopsided grin, “But eventually you’re gonna have to take your clothes off too.” Not that he was particularly in a rush to see Sixty’s body. He just...didn’t want to be the only one naked. Yeah.

Oddly, now that Sixty knew Allen had tattoos, he was a lot less reticent about stripping. But he wasn't going to make it easy for him.

"I'm not sure your little heart could cope with that just yet," he purred as he slithered the sweatpants off Allen's hips. The temptation to reach for him, curl fingers around his erection, maybe even put his tongue to good use was strong but Sixty resisted. If Allen wanted something, he could ask - nicely.

Allen snorted, mostly to cover the punched out noise he made as he watched Sixty’s eyes ease across his now exposed erection. It was somehow incredibly satisfying to be viewed so thoroughly like this. Like he was a delectable treat. 

Allen made an effort to sprawl back a little more invitingly, spreading his legs slightly and putting his hands behind his head so his muscles all flexed properly. “That’s fine, you can continue your exploration then.” He purred. He wasn’t going to beg for something Sixty would want to do eventually anyways.

So it was going to be yet another battle of wills. It was a game Sixty could most certainly play. After all, Allen did say he could continue his explorations, he didn’t specify where.

Wordlessly, Sixty got to work, he smoothed his hands over Allen's chest, nails scraping lightly over him. He followed his hands with his mouth, working over Allen's stomach and his right side, moving down to worry his hip with his teeth. No matter what he did though, Sixty carefully avoided touching Allen's straining dick, hands never moving closer than the insides of his thighs.

Allen was beginning to wonder if Sixty was being this bratty on purpose, or if that was just his natural disposition. Either way, he was doing a great job of torturing the hell out of him.

Every time Sixty got even remotely close to his dick, Allen’s hips wanted to buck up, forcing some,  _ any _ , contact. He was going to go mad before anything happened at this rate. “Fucking tease” he gritted out, “That’s enough, come on, you made your point.”

Victory had never been sweeter but Sixty had one more kicker up his sleeve. Turning innocent eyes on Allen, he pouted.

"You told me to keep up my explorations. What point did you think I was trying to make?"

He was struggling to keep up the mock innocence, a grin fighting it's way through.

Allen couldn’t help it, he started laughing, reaching up and tugging gently but insistently at Sixty’s shirt. “Come on you little minx, lemme see the goods.” He teased, still chuckling. There was something weirdly relaxed about this, that made him feel like it was okay to joke around.

That tore a laugh out of Sixty's mouth and he immediately slammed a hand over his lips. There was a reason he rarely laughed, preferring to sneer and smirk, occasionally snort a huff of amusement. His laughter was plain ugly, like that of a braying donkey mixed with a snuffling snort. Trying to distract from his little accident, he whipped his own t-shirt off and held his arms out.

"Well?" He asked with a forced smirk. "Do I meet your exacting standards?"

Allen had never heard Sixty laugh properly before, and he felt his heart skip weirdly at the sound. That was an oddly ungraceful sound for someone who tried so hard to look cool. Maybe that was why it was so oddly endearing. Putting that thought aside for now, Allen focused on what was easy - Sixty’s body finally exposed for him to look at.

Running his hands up and down Sixty’s sides, he took in the feel of lean muscle under the skin, and the smattering of colorful ink trailing up over his shoulder blades. Smirking, Allen managed to comment “Not bad...not bad at all.” The reverence of his hands betrayed his true feelings on the matter.

Body and words were in a bit of a contrast. The hands on his skin were careful, worshipping the trail of tattoos he'd gotten done over the years. Not a large, cohesive piece but much more little flashes of colour that all met and began to unite into a whole.

However, Allen's words weren't what he had hoped for and even though he knew they were messing around, hurt still flashed through him.

"Well, if it's just not bad..." he trailed off and reached for his t-shirt again.

Allen was taken aback by the clear hurt and withdrawal from Sixty. Had he misread the mood so badly? Sixty had seemed to have no trouble teasing him mercilessly earlier, but now he couldn’t handle even a slightly reserved compliment? Part of Allen wanted to double down and rib the other man for being sensitive.

And yet....he found he couldn’t quite manage it. Instead, Allen soothed his hands up and down Sixty’s sides and up the front of his chest. “Hey now, you can’t deprive me of this view right away. Have some mercy, baby.” He purred, not even thinking of the endearment slipping out.

Intent on directing attention away from his moment of weak insecurity, Sixty gave him a Cheshire cat smile.

"You wanted mercy, did you?" Lightning fast, he moved down until he could wrap his lips around Allen's cock and sucked hard.

Allen was surprised by the sudden movement, but even more surprised when Sixty suddenly latched onto his dick and sucked like he was trying to get the last sip of cola out of the bottom of a cup. It wasn’t pleasant, nor was the awkward scrape of teeth thanks to the speed and weird angle:

Allen yowled in surprise and some pain, yelping out “Hey!! Shit, Be gentle!”

Pulling back off, Sixty watched Allen with a closed expression. He hadn't meant to cause any pain and he was mortified when the word "sorry" left his lips. Carefully lowering back down, he was a lot more gentle in taking Allen's dick between his lips and started sliding back down. Gradually, he worked up a bit of speed but couldn't control how much of a mess he was making. What Sixty didn't anticipate was for his throat to close up at the slightest hint of something going to deep. He pulled off with a violent gag. This was not at all how it happened in any of the porn he'd watched.

Allen was very confused by now. Sixty’s confidence, posture, and behavior up until now had all been very firmly in the realm of ‘experienced sexual partner’. He had no reason to doubt his abilities to follow through on the promises they had both been making quite hastily. 

But with Sixty making a mess of this blowjob, gagging on (okay it wasn’t small but it wasn’t unreasonably large either) Allen’s dick, and in general seeming rather unsure of himself, Allen was starting to doubt what was happening. “You okay?” He asked, a hint of genuine concern in his voice. He propped himself up on his elbows to get a better view of Sixty, watching him carefully.

"Fine!" Sixty snapped. "Just testing how low a standard you're used to."

Deep down he was panicking though. He had thought he was going to be fine. That this would play out like in all those clips he'd watched online. The few fumbling moments at clubs during his degree weren't much to write home about and alcohol had a tendency to cloud things over anyway.

"Are you chickening out? Am I too much for you to handle?" he managed to squeeze out. As long as Allen's eyes or hands didn't stray too far down his body and notice he was no longer hard, he could salvage this.

Part of Allen’s job was reading people, and he was really fucking good at his job. And right now, he was getting  _ terrible _ vibes off of Sixty. His body language was stiff and tense, his voice sounded strained, and he had gone back to the same biting quips from the beginning of their conversation, the ones focused on putting Allen down and building space between them. 

Concern mounting and erection flagging, Allen frowned up at Sixty, replying “No, but I have a feeling this is too much for you...it’s okay if you don’t want to, I’d rather you not force yourself.” Enemies, coworkers, whatever they were, Allen still didn’t want Sixty to be uncomfortable with something they did in the bedroom.

As much as Sixty wanted to rage against the accusation of it being too much for him, he knew they weren't exactly wrong.

"I said I'm fine!" He stressed the words and ran a hand through his hair. "If you don't want me, you could have just said."

Reaching for his t-shirt, he was ready to beat a hasty retreat. Forget this whole humiliating experience, go back to hating Allen and his riders and never mention it again. Except, he was already wound tight, he could see Allen's arousal flagging and it burned, being the cause of it. He forgot his shoulder and reached for his t-shirt wrong and hissed.

“Hey, hey, stop, just...cool it for a second.” Allen said, reaching out and grabbing Sixty gently by the good arm. The last thing they both needed was for him to storm out all upset like this. “You’re gonna hurt yourself more if you aren’t careful.” He cautioned, wiggling a little bit to sit up fully so he was now face to face with Sixty. This was weird to do while he was naked but oh well.

Allen clasped Sixty’s face in both hands, the calloused skin strange against those smooth cheeks. “I need you to look at me and calm down, okay? Cause something’s going wrong here and I don’t like it.”

Stilling under the touch, Sixty looked Allen in the eye.

"I am calm," he gritted out bitterly. "The only thing going wrong here is you didn't like your dick getting sucked."

Always deflecting. If Allen threw him out now, he could stay angry, turn this whole thing on him and not have to bare his dirty little secret. But at the same time, Sixty didn't want to be cast aside again. Emotions and wants warred inside him and he glanced away from Allen's gaze meekly.

Allen was starting to become uncomfortably familiar with Sixty’s traits and habits. Was that a good thing? Who knew. He certainly wasn’t going to question it right now. Right now he was focused on keeping the other man calm and making sure he didn’t bolt.

“Uh huh. Yeah. Well, I do actually like getting my dick sucked, I just...” Allen trailed off momentarily as he tried to figure out how to phrase this. He had a feeling that ‘you suck at giving head’ or ‘are you way less experienced than you let on?’ were both going to go over really poorly.

“I just like it a particular way.” Allen said instead, trying to play this off casually, “Think if I like, gave you some pointers you could manage it?”

Trust Allen to be freakishly particular about how he likes his dick being sucked. Sixty rolled his eyes and said as much. However, he was clambering backwards, shuffling into position.

"No freaky shit though," he warned. "Not everything in porn can be accomplished in real life."

Allen had to bite his tongue, quite literally, to stop himself from saying something that would probably scare Sixty off again. He could be the bigger man in this case. Hah.

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t even want to know what kinda freaky porn you watch.” He teased gently, trying to lighten the mood, “Start slow, use your hand to cover whatever’s not in your mouth. And don’t bother trying to deepthroat or anything.”

"No dick is big enough to make Alien Baby Syndrome a reality," Sixty told him seriously before following the instructions. It was weird, being told what to do and he had expected to bristle at being controlled but instead, Sixty felt at ease. It was nice to not have to worry about doing what he guessed was the right thing. He could let go, focus on working Allen's cock into his mouth until his lips brushed against his hand wrapped around the rest. Looking up at Allen, he hoped he was going along the right lines.

Allen wanted to laugh, but he did his best to avoid that. Instead he managed to keep it to a smirk. The slower, less frantic motion was already doing a lot to help his dick regain some interest in what was happening. He was half hard by the time Sixty figure out the right combo of hands and mouth.

“That’s a good boy, just keep the motion slow until you get used to it. Feels real nice.” Allen praised, going off what Sixty had been dishing out when he had been enjoying himself. It was a guess, but it wasn’t a bad one he figured.

Pulling off, Sixty frowned at him with a petulant "not a boy" but before he could completely ruin the mood, he put his mouth back to good use, sinking back into the rhythm of making Allen sigh under his ministrations.

Just as he was getting into it, his own dick hard against the mattress, there was a loud and insistent knock on the front door.

Allen managed an eye roll at Sixty’s particular nature as always, but he was actually starting to feel good again. It wasn’t the best blowjob he had ever gotten, not by a long shot, but it was no longer the worst. Allen let his head fall back as he half sighed, half groaned as Sixty managed to hit a particularly good downstroke.

“Fuck! Seriously??” He cursed, immediately drawn out of the pleasant haze by yet another interruption.

Blindly grabbing a t-shirt, Sixty was hurriedly getting dressed amid growled threats.

"That better not be the fucking takeaway bastard," he seethed. "Because I will set Connor on him for stalking and harassment I swear."

He stomped behind Allen to the door, letting him sort the intruder to his own home this time.

Allen was too rushed in pulling on his sweats to notice that Sixty had grabbed one of his t-shirts, the material loose across his slightly less well-built torso. 

Cursing under his breath, not even bothering with a shirt himself, Allen pulled open the door and snapped out “What do you want?” Before his mouth went dry and his eyes bugged out....Nines was not who he had expected.

Giving Allen a cursory and disdain filled once over, Nines turned to Sixty. His lips curled up in a judging sneer.

"You weren't answering your phone so I came to make sure you hadn't decided to have a full on wrestling rematch and bashed your brains out." His eyes lingered on the t-shirt hanging loosely off Sixty's frame. "I guess you were getting your brains out by some other means. I'm surprised you'd sink this low, brother."

Allen’s immediate reaction of embarrassment and shame evaporated in the face of Nines’ sneering disdain. He had had quite enough of getting judged by these brothers.

“I don’t think someone who regularly fucks Gavin Reed in shady alleyways can stand to pass judgement on ‘sinking low’” Allen snapped in return, fuming now, “Are you here to beat me up for no reason too, or are you all talk?”

Unruffled, Nines cast him a flat look. "I'm here to make sure my brother gets home in once piece. He has a tendency to lose all common sense and decency at times." He turned back to Sixty. "In your own time, some of us have work to be getting back to."

Fuming, Sixty held up a finger in a 'one minute' gesture and slammed the door shut. He looked to Allen a little bewildered.

"I promise he's not always this much of an ass," he spoke as he jammed his feet in his shoes. "Come by tomorrow lunch as we'd agreed earlier and you might be in for a treat."

In a rush and not really thinking, he dipped in to kiss Allen before turning towards the door.

Allen was saved from physically assaulting Nines by Sixty’s quick work with the door. He was cussing up a storm under his breath - these Stern boys were more trouble than they were worth!

“Somehow I’m not convinced” Allen growled, but further complaints were silenced by that unexpected kiss. Without thinking, he reached out and playfully smacked Sixty on the ass as he left. “I’ll be there.” He agreed, still not sure how any of this was real.

Leaving Allen's house was an oddly sombre moment. Sixty found himself scowling at Nines in deep annoyance.

"Couldn't keep your nose out of my business, could you? I don't rev my engine at whatever alleyway you have lured Gavin into, do I?"

Nines merely shrugged and headed to the car. "It's not my fault I thought he'd killed you. After the way he treated you yesterday, I don't trust him."

"It was an accident and he apologised!" Sixty snapped, louder than intended. "And we're taking his bike with us, Connor is fixing his mistake."

On the way back home, Sixty pouted and had his arms crossed over his chest defensively. He was going to have to give back the t-shirt the next day when Allen came by the morgue. And he needed to get ready for that too. Oddly, he was looking forward to their little encounter.

Once the brothers were gone, Allen slumped down against the door and rubbed his hands over his eyes. That had been...wild as hell. He still had no idea what he was doing. Was he into Sixty now? They were definitely still rivals, but rivals with benefits? Who kinda looked forward to seeing each other??? Weird.

Allen didn’t dwell on it, and he definitely didn’t look forward to the next day...which was good, because the next day at work turned out to be a clusterfuck. There was a huge drug bust that came up unexpectedly, and before he knew it the whole day was eaten up. No chance to stop and rest, no chance to eat, and certainly no chance to try and see Sixty.

Allen had an Oh Shit moment the minute he dragged himself back home, realizing he didn’t even have the other man’s number to call and apologize.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Sixty's just not having a good few days...Getting stood up is bad enough, but figuring out why it upsets you so much? That's a bit too much for one guy to handle. Allen may need to step in and lend a helping hand if he can.

In the morning, Sixty woke up with a weird feeling in his chest. It wasn't pain, wasn't even anything physical as such. But there certainly was something like excitement and happiness there. He dug through his lingerie drawer and fished out the light blue set that had caught Allen's eyes the previous day. To top it off, he grabbed a medium sized plug so he could make Allen's breath hitch like it did the previous day. Working the toy in, it was hard not to grab his cock and end things then and there. He was going to wait, going to surprise Allen.

As the hours dragged by, at long last it was lunchtime. He waited eagerly in the morgue, sat on the edge of an empty trolley, the plug pushing deliciously against things. As midday slowly passed and there wasn't any sign of Allen at half past, Sixty began to flag. He was hoped Allen would be there by then, just as eager for whatever this was, as he was.

One o'clock and Sixty had almost convinced himself that the SWAT team could take later lunch hours. Anything until three was feasible really. So Sixty waited, kept an eye on the door as he got back to work.

By the time three rolled around, he was beyond angry. Allen had promised he'd come visit. Instead, he'd tricked Sixty into dolling up and ditched him. He was probably laughing with his team over how stupid Sixty was, to believe that he was anything but his enemy. Out of sheer spite, Sixty kept the lingerie and plug as they were until the end of the day. If Allen didn't want to come and appreciate them, he would just get his own enjoyment out of it. Sixty had half a mind to throw Allen's t-shirt in the bin but, in the end, he just stuffed it into the depths of his locker and left for home once his shift was over.

Allen hated to admit it, but he actually felt...bad about standing Sixty up. Sure, it wasn’t his fault and it wasn’t like they had any sort of real relationship for him to be betraying, but still. He had actually wanted to go and see Sixty, and he had a feeling that the desire had been mutual. That thought was about as complicated as the swirling doubts in his head and in his chest as he considered what his options were. Knowing Sixty, he was going to be spitting mad and vindictive the next day at work. But what choice did Allen have? 

He arrived at work the next morning full of trepidation and still a little bit of guilt. He had brought Sixty’s pants and a little something in his car to try and make up for his misstep, although doing so made him feel almost queasy. What was he thinking, bringing an apology gift for his rival? Luckily, Allen didn’t have long to dwell on his worries, as a department-wide meeting had been called to go over yesterday’s sting.

Sitting down at the conference table, Allen looked around cautiously for Sixty.

Department-wide meetings were the bane of Sixty's life. He hated them with a passion and the only thing that made them worse than usual was knowing that Allen was going to be there. Actually, his whole gang was going to be at the meeting, Hank and Gavin pulled in because of the homicide Sixty had uncovered. At least Connor would tag along too so Sixty wouldn't be completely by himself but still outnumbered. Grumbling as he made his way to the conference room, he was intent on ignoring everyone but his brother.

Inside, he gave a cursory glance and spotted Allen immediately. Head held high, Sixty grabbed himself some water and walked to the other side of the room and settled in a chair, pointedly looking away from him. He was not going to give Allen the satisfaction of even acknowledging him.

Allen sighed internally as he watched Sixty enter the room and pointedly ignore him. He had expected it, but it still felt not great somehow. Luckily, having Gavin and Hank with him made him feel somewhat less singled out and threatened.  _ Especially _ since Connor seemed to be getting the same silent treatment from Hank as Allen was currently getting from Sixty.

The meeting started, and Fowler began explaining just what had gone down yesterday, as well as its significance to the other departments. Allen felt slightly vindicated when it was pointed out how the SWAT team had been on the ground all day, but he doubted even cold hard facts would sway Sixty.

Listening to the briefing, Sixty was torn. As usual, the works of the morgue were sidelined, barely even acknowledged even though it had been his finding which had helped solidify the facts that enabled the sting. That never stopped burning, even though he had years to get used to it.

The other issue was the fact that he now knew that the SWAT team had been on site all day. Which meant Allen hadn't deliberately ghosted him. That was a relief. But at the same time, he could have let Hank or Gavin know, who would have gotten the message to Connor and that way to him. On second thought, best not. While Connor may have a thing going on with Hank, Sixty wasn't ready to admit he was sinking to their levels.

Anyway, Allen still owed him a bit of an apology. Getting him so nicely dressed and worked up  (open) and not showing. Sixty knew that if Allen had made any attempt to acknowledge him, he would have ignored him. Well, until now. With a few more facts revealed, Sixty was more inclined to forgive him.

As the meeting wrapped up, he stood and stretched with a yawn. Next to him, Connor turned and the coffee he'd be nursing went tumbling all over Sixty. With an irritated screech, Sixty jumped back and stared in dismay at his soaked top.

"Thanks for that," he hissed at Connor who was trying to apologise. "See you later."

Not waiting for a reply, Sixty stormed out, making a beeline for his locker.

For the first time, Allen was weirdly cognizant of just how little credit the morgue got for its contributions. Given Sixty’s heavy involvement, he had expected him to be mentioned quite a bit, but he was simply glossed over instead... Not that Allen didn’t take pride in the praise his team received, but it felt strange for some reason this time. 

After the meeting, Allen stood up with the intention of going over to speak to Sixty, but was waylaid by Fowler asking about some detail or another. Everyone in the room heard the aftermath of the coffee spill, and Allen watched in frustration as Sixty stormed off. 

As soon as he could disentangle himself from Fowler, Allen was off to the lockers, hoping his guess as to Sixty’s whereabouts would be correct.

In typical luck for Sixty, he didn't actually have a change of clothes in his locker. Well, he had a spare pair of trousers and another tie for whatever reason but no matter how deep he dug into his locker, no shirt or even jumper materialised. The only thing that he could possibly wear was Allen's t-shirt he'd accidentally stolen the previous day. If he kept his lab coat firmly buttoned up, he could probably get away with wearing it again. Shrugging out of his coffee stained shirt, Sixty gave the t-shirt a quick sniff to check it didn't reek too much of sweat and who knew what else. It also gave him a deeper appreciation for Allen's scent and he tried not to feel weird about going back for another delicate sniff.

  
  


Allen arrived at the lockers just as Sixty gave that second delicate sniff, and just...tried not to think about what he had just seen. It wasn’t weird for Sixty to be smelling his shirt. It also wasn’t weird for him to feel a swell of warmth in his chest at the sight of Sixty slipping into  _ his _ shirt. Nope. Not weird.

Rapping on the doorframe to announce his presence, Allen cleared his throat and said “Hey, Sixty, uh...” He suddenly had no idea what to say, despite having opened his mouth already.

The locker door clanged loudly in the room as Sixty slammed it shut, worried he had been caught a) sniffing a t-shirt and b) his tattoos on show. He turned to face the intruder and managed to get a pretty good sneer of disdain out.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

He had to keep up the pretence of hating Allen, of not forgiving him because otherwise there was no telling what he might do. And all things considered, he didn't want to get written up for inappropriate conduct in the workplace.

After all the weirdness, Sixty snapping at him was almost comforting. It felt normal to fall into that routine. Allen shrugged, trying to figure out what he should do with his hands and failing. He ended up crossing his arms awkwardly in front of his chest.

“Guess I just came to apologize for yesterday.” Allen muttered, watching Sixty closely for his response, “As you saw, I didn’t exactly have a lunch break.”

Oddly, the idea of Allen not having a lunch break and going hungry made Sixty's heart squeeze. He ignored it in favour of trying to maintain his aloof and spiky persona.

"Your apology is accepted. But you could have left a message to cancel if you'd really cared."

Internally, he was kicking himself though. Being mean to Allen stopped being fun when he fell asleep next to the man's sofa. Sixty wanted something else with him but had no idea how to initiate the change. He just hoped that maybe Allen was better at this stuff than him. After a beat, he added, "Are you going to offer to make it up to me?"

  
  


Allen raised an eyebrow at the word ‘cared’. That seemed...to fit right in with the crisis he had been having himself for the last few days. But he was nothing if not persistent at ignoring his own feelings, so he said simply, “I mean, I don’t exactly have your number, you know. Sorry.” The sorry escaped without him really meaning it to. Shit.

“Actually, yeah, I brought some stuff in my car...you free for lunch today?” Allen asked, feeling strangely like a schoolboy asking out his crush. But in his defense, Sixty was the one who had initiated this.

The fact that Allen had come prepared knocked Sixty for...well, six. He blinked in surprise, not quite sure how to take it.

"This better not be a kidnapping so you can quietly murder me, get your SWAT buddies to dispose of my body and all that. You can't bury every single mistake." He peered around to make sure nobody was around before quietly adding, "I tend to take lunch around 12:30 if that works for you?"

Allen chuckled, shaking his head as he replied, “You really think I’d warn you before a kidnapping? That will happen when you least expect it.” He was secretly pretty pleased that Sixty seemed so eager to accept his offer though. It meant he hadn’t wasted his time this morning getting up early.

“Yeah, why don’t I uh, come down to the morgue then? Eating in my office means no privacy.” Allen added. The gossip mills would never stop if they caught him and Sixty in his office, or worse, his car.

"If anyone asks, you wouldn't be caught dead with me, that's why we're doing this in the morgue, right?" That had sounded better in Sixty's head but whatever quip he thought he'd had, it didn't come out right. "Don't be late."

He breezed past Allen and headed down to the comfort of his own little domain. It was always easier to think in the cool of the room with rarely any interruptions. And he most certainly had a lot to think about.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reconciliation lunch manages to take place without any more unhappy accidents! Now the question is, will our boys manage to last five minutes without making things unbearably horny?
> 
> Unlikely.

Allen shrugged again - he had a feeling that was Sixty’s feeling on the matter, but he wasn’t going to push. Things were tentative as it was, no sense ruining it with one wrong quip. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there.” He insisted, knowing that barring some great catastrophe he had every intention of seeing Sixty for lunch today.

No great catastrophe appeared, thank god, so Allen found himself in the morgue at 12:30 precisely, holding his peace offering in his hands. This morning he had gotten up early and actually baked a casserole to go in the olive branch casserole dish, which he was now holding along with a bag containing cutlery, plates, and Sixty’s clothes.

A petty part of Sixty made sure he was in his office at 12:30 rather than out in the main area of the morgue. He heard the door go and waited a good 30 seconds before making an appearance.

"You actually made it, I am surprised." He couldn't keep the smile off his face though. When he spied the familiar casserole dish in Allen's hands, his heart fluttered.

"I do so hope you didn’t just bring me dirty dishes to clean," he drawled but was ushering Allen into his office and clearing the table anyway.

Allen tried not to roll his eyes as Sixty did a very obvious power move. The familiarity of this song and dance was becoming almost pleasant. “Unlike you, I didn’t bring you a literal stick in this dish.” He teased, setting the dish down on the table and unpacking his dishes. It made him feel oddly domestic, but if Sixty wanted to joke about that he could eat casserole with his bare hands.

The scent wafting from the dish was actually making Sixty's mouth water. He eagerly sat down and looked over at all with a bout of uncharacteristic softness.

"It smells great," he said and watched Allen. A new game was forming in his mind, it was time to move from dominating Allen to flustering him. The question was, would he notice the change or could Sixty do it slow enough to make it seem natural. "Did you ask your mum to help make it?"

Allen was quite pleased with his cooking abilities, when he had the time to practice them. He was also pleased to see Sixty looking so excited about the smell. Sitting down, he gestured for the other man to join him. He wasn’t gonna mess around and let lunch get even colder now.

Allen snorted as he uncovered the casserole and started grabbing a portion, replying “Nah, I can actually cook to feed myself. Myself and other, less culinarily gifted people.” He shot Sixty an accusatory glance at that, guessing that cooking wasn’t his strong suit.

"Careful," Sixty growled, "I might take that as an open invitation that you want to cook for me some more."

He looked at the plate Allen had dished up and cleared his throat. It had been itching all morning but he'd stubbornly refused to acknowledge it or the sneezes that had been plaguing him. Trying to ignore it, he picked up his fork and dug in as soon as Allen had his own portion in front of him.

"Oh fuck me," he moaned under his breath, "this is delicious."

Allen laughed at Sixty’s first comment, then laughed harder at his second. That was probably the loudest moan he had ever heard out of the man. It was intensely satisfying to see him enjoying the food that much. Allen tried to pretend it was because it felt like a victory, but part of it was just because seeing Sixty enjoy himself was nice in a way.

“I think you’re the one who needs to be careful. Sounds like you’ll be begging for my dick and my cooking pretty soon.” Allen teased, biting into the casserole himself with some vigor. He had a flutter of a thought at that - after that terrible blowjob, could Sixty actually just go straight into sex? Or was he going to need more coaching?

Looking up, Sixty sent Allen a knowing wink.

"Dick, cooking and hand in marriage. As a member of the medical profession, I cannot in good conscience let you loose on the unsuspecting public like this."

Once his plate was empty, he pushed away a little from the table and sprawled in his chair, a hand resting on his stomach. He couldn't remember the last time he ate something so nice that was homemade. The saying was true, food made by someone else always tasted better.

"I suppose you are on the road to forgiveness," he drawled with a small grin.

Allen’s eyebrows rose as Sixty said ‘hand in marriage’ but let it slide past. It was enough of a victory that he had admitted the food and the dick was incredible. That was all Allen cared about honestly. That and shoveling casserole in his own mouth. 

He let out a matching satisfied sigh once the plate was clear. He felt warm after a good meal, but even more warm somehow watching Sixty look so satisfied... Allen couldn’t help but smile happily across the table. 

“What a relief” he replied, and there was just a hint to how genuine that was that escaped into his tone.

The smile looked good on Allen. Lazy and satisfied in the best of ways. But Sixty was fairly certain he could make it even more blissed out and he still had a good 30 minutes of his lunch hour left.

Coyly, he returned the smile. "Well, that's bellies mostly full but I think I have a bit more room. We were so rudely interrupted the other day when I was in the middle of something. How about I finish what I started?" he offered off handedly. Trying his best, he probably managed to sound utterly disinterested but at heart he really hoped Allen wouldn't reject him.

Allen hadn’t expected Sixty to offer to continue what they had started so soon. He had thought he would tease him more before offering a sexual favor. The offer was tempting, and Allen found his smile widening ever so slightly.

“That sounds like the perfect after lunch snack.” He purred, leaning back in his chair and widening his legs somewhat, “Think you can pick up from what we talked about last time?” He figured he’d have to talk Sixty through it again, but that was fine if he got his dick sucked out of the deal.

Aiming for gracefully slipping from his chair and crawling to Allen with a prowl, Sixty smiled, teeth flashing.

"Assume again that I am some incompetent fool who can't remember such a simple thing as how to suck dick and I'll leave you high and dry." His threats were empty though as he sat back on his calves, hands already busy with Allen's flies, pulling him through his boxers. Looking at it with a critical eye, Sixty pouted. "I would have thought you'd be more excited at the idea of it."

He had meant it as a tease but he was also disappointed. It would have been nice if Allen was a bit harder in eager anticipation. If Sixty was honest with himself, that stung a bit.

Allen resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Sixty’s continued insistence that he was a master at giving head, because he did actually want to get his dick sucked today. There was clearly a lot of ego on the line which, if he was feeling generous, he could admit he understood. Nobody wanted to be the weirdo who was no good at sex. 

When the fact that he wasn’t immediately hard was brought up, Allen couldn’t hold back from being honest. “Look, I was pretty sure you were gonna rip my dick off as punishment, so you’ll have to pardon my lack of immediate enthusiasm.” He explained, reaching down and almost gently stroking at Sixty’s hair.

“Seeing you on your knees like this is certainly helping” he added with a hint of a smirk.

Confused and torn between preening under the touch, almost being told he makes for appealing picture and getting annoyed that Allen seriously thought he would be so crass, Sixty shrugged.

"I would be so much more creative than that!" He finally settled on a bit of indignation. "Perhaps I should punish you by not letting you use my mouth."

Despite his words, he was already leaning forward, eager to try and get Allen in his mouth.

Allen couldn’t take anything Sixty said seriously right now, not when he had his mouth half open, pretty much begging for his cock. The sight of it alone was enough to make Allen start to show interest, his erection starting to fill out. 

“How bout you blow my brains out through my dick as punishment instead huh?” Allen murmured, hand slipping to lightly scratch at the back of Sixty’s neck.

A scoff was on his lips but Sixty held it in check in favour of delicately taking Allen's cock between his lips. He didn't move though, merely looked up at him and waited for instructions, enjoying the gentle hand on his skin far too much.

Allen was momentarily taken aback by how wonderful it felt to just have that wet warmth on his dick, that he forgot to think about Sixty. His bluster earlier had apparently been just bluster, so Allen took a deep breath and started to guide him. “Alright, take me in nice and slow, use that pretty little tongue of yours, why don’t you?” He murmured, not pulling but definitely guiding Sixty’s head with his hand.

Trying his best, Sixty wiggled his tongue against the underside of Allen's cock. He easily followed the guiding hand and closed his eyes to focus on the sensation more. Though the taste was making him hold his breath a bit, he was willing to try and work through it in favour of getting them both off.

He got a bit too deep though and pulled off, gagging and spluttering. The first words to mind were "you're not big, I'm just out of practice" but words stilled on his lips as he looked up at Allen, lips spit slick and messy, eyes a bit wet from gagging so hard.

Allen was tempted to close his eyes as Sixty started to build up a slow rhythm, to just enjoy the sensation of a pretty decent blowjob. But oh was he glad he didn't give into that temptation. As soon as he heard Sixty gag and saw him pull away, Allen was already preparing the soothing speech to calm him down. But then he actually looked down, and that image, of Sixty on his knees with his lips pink and shiny, eyes full of tears...god. His chest fluttered awkwardly, and his cock twitched, arousal flooding through him.

"Fuck, Sixty, you look so fucking good right now." Allen purred, his hand moving to cup Sixty's cheek in an almost tender gesture.

Who would have thought Sixty had a thing for someone cupping his cheek? He nuzzled into it, feeling more vulnerable than ever before.

"You don't mind?" his voice was low, self-conscious as he tried to find the right words. Knowing what he did of Allen, he had probably figured out already that Sixty was more of a theory than practice kind of guy when it came to the matter of sex. Still, he wanted to make sure.

Allen felt a shock of relief as part of Sixty’s cocky persona fell away. Strangely, those three words felt more intimate than any of the sexual acts they had gotten up to. Hell, than what they were currently getting up to even. 

“I don’t mind.” Allen responded, his tone changing slightly from lewd to a more serious one, “Not a bit. I’ve got you.” He hadn’t been too bothered by directing Sixty earlier, but the prospect of it now, with Sixty’s big eyes looking up at him like that...it was a little hot.

For whatever reason, Sixty trusted that Allen would be gentle. Whether it was the change of tone or the earnest look he managed to give even while his dick was hard, it didn't matter. All Sixty cared about now was making him feel good. A reward for bringing Sixty lunch and for not mocking him. Slowly, he took the tip of his cock in his mouth and experimentally ran a tongue around it before flicking it over the tip to see what kind of reaction that would get.

Honestly, Allen thought to himself, he should be getting an award for being so thoughtful while most of his blood was between his legs. But he weirdly didn’t feel put upon being nice to Sixty... His thought process went out the window when Sixty started experimenting, a low groan escaping instead. If the goal was to make Allen feel good, he was on the right track.

Taking the groan as a good sign, Sixty got a bit braver and one hand wrapped around Allen's shaft while the other pressed against his balls. Jaw falling slack, he moved lower until his lips were pressed against his own hand and he pulled back a bit before rocking down again.

He wanted to ask if this was what Allen wanted, or whether there was something else he should be doing. However, that would have meant pulling off completely and Sixty wasn't sure whether he could muster up the words in that moment. Instead, he made a querying little hum, hoping it got his question across.

Allen was doing his best to pay attention and watch Sixty to try and direct him. But as he started to become bolder in his movements, the temptation for Allen to let his head fall back and enjoy was mounting. Little sighs and almost moans were escaping his mouth as Sixty started to establish a rhythm.

The little hum drew Allen out of his reverie, looking down with somewhat glazed eyes. “Yeah, just like that baby. Keep moving, you can speed up if you feel like it.” He pet at Sixty’s cheek, feeling the outline of his own cock through the skin.

As suggested, Sixty sped up. It was less refined now, to his utter mortification spit escaped the corner of his mouth and trickled down his chin. There was more noise now too, mixing in with Allen's sighs, his own huffs of breath and the odd slurp. It wasn't really a surprise that Sixty's own cock was trying to take an interest in the matter and he whined, hips twitching a little.

A strange taste hit his tongue and he pulled off with another gag. It clung to his tongue and as he eyed Allen, he realised he'd begun to leak, a small bead of precome at the tip of his shaft.

"Don't suppose you came prepared?" he asked, surprised when his voice was a little huskier. "A condom might be quite useful if you want to finish in my mouth."

Allen was making a concerted effort not to shift his own hips up into the wet heat of Sixty’s mouth. The last thing he wanted was to make the other man vomit with a poorly timed thrust. Not to mention face fucking without permission was in pretty poor taste in Allen’s opinion. He kept one hand firmly planted on the edge of his seat, anchoring himself as his other hand continued to encourage and guide Sixty.

It took him a few seconds to realize what Sixty was trying to say, his mind somewhat clouded with arousal. “Oh, fuck, maybe?” Allen muttered. His first instinct was to complain that he had swallowed, why couldn’t Sixty? But then he remembered their imbalance in experience and relented, running a hand thoughtfully over his chin as he considered. “Lemme check my wallet.” He said, digging for it in his pants and triumphantly removing his last emergency condom.

Putting a condom on another man was not something Sixty was used. Even putting one on his own one was something he didn't bother with too much when by himself. To his utter mortification, he fumbled it a little, movements not at all the smoothed and assured ones he was aiming for.

Rather than apologise, he surged forward, hoping to distract Allen from it. The odd thought that he'd get mocked for not being perfect crossed his mind and though he tried to ignore it, he still shied away a little, the small "sorry" slipping quietly from his lips.

Allen huffed out a frustrated breath, not at Sixty’s inefficiency or inexperience, but instead at his habit of rushing forward instead of taking his time. “Hey, hey, slow down.” He said, stroking Sixty’s cheek in a calming sort of way, “You don’t have to rush, you’re doing just fine.” If he had been closer, Allen would have pulled him close for a kiss. As it was, the best he could do was use his hand to pet at him.

It was strange, but the more Sixty allowed his vulnerability to shine through, the less Allen thought about making snide comments. Instead there was this weird urge to protect instead, or at least to reassure.

Sixty could do better than "just fine". He wriggled back and doubled his efforts to get Allen off. It wasn't just a matter of pride though, he was also trying to prove to himself that he could do it.

One hand stayed wrapped around Allen while the other linked their fingers at the back of his head, unwilling to lose that little contact to keep him grounded.

Allen had to swallow hard to avoid saying something altogether too fond as he felt Sixty holding his hand. Instead he allowed himself a low moan as the other man got back to work. As Sixty continued his ministrations, Allen made less of an effort to stay too quiet. He was counting on their new tentative truce to guarantee Sixty wouldn’t make massive fun of him afterwards for ‘moaning like a whore’ or something.

Previously, Sixty had never seen the appeal of moaning. He tended to be very quiet by himself and even the few times he had been with someone, it was a silent and quick affair. However, Allen's moans took him by surprise, he wanted to see what sounds he could pull from the man. They were captivating, spurred him on to do better. He whined in the back of his throat, desperate to do well, to get Allen off so he could watch and feel him fall apart.

Given the right partner, Allen was quite vocal in bed. Similarly to his lack of shame at enjoying a good cock in his mouth, he saw no reason not to express his appreciation for his partner’s effort. But with Sixty so far he had been making an effort himself to be quiet - there was a good chance he would take it was an excuse to tease him. Now though, he was very loud, as he neared his peak, hips shaking from the effort not to thrust into Sixty’s mouth to chase that final push over the edge.

Frustration made Sixty tense up a little. His jaw was starting to hurt, Allen was shaking and moaning but it felt like he couldn't quite get there with his climax. And Sixty didn't know what he needed to do to tip him over. He tried everything Allen had seemed to like, licked over the head of his cock, sucked gently at it before slackening his lips and slipping down to take as much as he could but nothing seemed to work. At a loss, he looked up at Allen, cock still in his mouth, hoping for some kind of guidance.

The stop in motion had Allen looking down to focus on Sixty where he was peering up in confusion. It really shouldn't have, but that image - Sixty with drool all over his chin, lips stretched around his cock, eyes looking large and lost - that was just enough to do it. Allen came with a punched out groan and a curse under his breath, curling forward slightly in the chair.

Fucking finally. That was what Sixty should have been thinking if he wasn't too busy trying to guide Allen through an orgasm while not freaking out about how the condom felt in his mouth all of a sudden.

As delicately and politely as he could, he pulled away and sat back on his heels, regarding Allen with curious eyes. Post-coital bliss was an annoyingly good look on him but it was one that Sixty wasn't inclined to ruin. Instead, he decided to politely wait, uncertain what the etiquette of the situation called for. Other than maybe a drink for himself.

Allen flopped back into the chair once his orgasm released all the tension in his body, breath slowly evening out. He felt amazing as always post-orgasm, mind pleasantly hazy and body nice and warm. And he hadn't even soiled his pants this time, thanks to the condom. 

Once he had regained some of his faculties, Allen sat up somewhat and pulled off said condom, tying it off and dropping it next to the chair. He'd deal with throwing it out later, for now he wanted a lapful of Sixty. He gestured for the other man to climb up, saying with a lazy smile "Come here, you did so good."

He did good. The words seared through Sixty and he primly picked himself up off the floor. Everything in him screamed to forget appearances and bundle into Allen's offer of an embrace but he refused to look like a touch starved slut. Even if he felt like one.

Delicately, he settled on one of Allen's thighs, shivering at the furnace-like heat that was the body under him. Despite best efforts to wipe his chin, Sixty couldn't get the feeling of being dirty out of his mind. He didn't look Allen in the eye as he sat, kept his eyes firmly on his hands which were clasped in his lap to prevent nervous fidgeting. He had no idea what ought to happen next. A "thank you very much for sucking my dick in exchange for lunch" awkward chat? Or not even that?

The body language coming off of Sixty was weird as hell, but Allen chose to ignore it instead of trying to talk it out and make it weird. He was too fucking happy right now to talk it out now anyways. Instead, he took Sixty by the chin and guided him in for a kiss. Allen was fairly forceful in his movement, just to get him to stop playing coy and looking down at his own hands, but if Sixty really didn't want to be kissed he wouldn't force him.

Kissing, Sixty could do. He let Allen take control of it for a few precious seconds, melting into it before deciding he was done being subservient. It was a simple matter to turn into Allen's chest, straddle his hips properly and wrap arms loosely around his neck. Pulling away, Sixty's breath was coming in short, sharp puffs and he rested his forehead against Allen's.

"Do you say thank you to everyone like this?" he teased gently.

Allen chuckled as they separated, pleased and amused at Sixty so quickly regaining that domineering spirit once he was on familiar ground. He had put his hands on Sixty's waist once he was being straddled, enjoying the way his hands felt splayed across the other man. 

"Who knows, but I certainly don't kiss and tell." Allen teased in return. He couldn't quite tell if Sixty was still hard after that blowjob, so he rocked him forward by the hips slightly to check.

"Your cock might be great but it's not so magical that I put it in my mouth and spontaneously come my brains out," Sixty sniffed. He wasn't quite sure how to explain the situation he now found himself in. It wasn't exactly something he could just blurt out or even offer to show Allen. That would be even weirder.

Allen didn't mind the obvious attempt at belittling his cock once again, it seemed to just be one of Sixty's favorite things to insult, but he did mind that Sixty's weird mood seemed to be sticking around. "Just wanted to see if I can help get you off." He offered, trying to sound casual, "I don't wanna leave you hanging after you did me such a favor."

There was no way out of things without it being weird and Sixty could feel an embarrassed flush staining his cheeks.

"About that," he began. "That may not be possible right now. Not because I've already come or don't want to but..." Words were suddenly difficult and he desperately wished Allen could be a mind reader. Instead though, he took one of Allen's hands and pressed it to his crotch, hoping the metal of the cage could be felt through his trousers.

"Oh." Allen said, his brain trying to connect all the pieces while still running at half power. After a few moments a wave of realization hit and he said " _ Oh _ " again but with almost a hint of awe to it. Goddamn, Sixty really was a kinky little fucker, for being as inexperienced as he was.

"And you've had this on all day? Just for fun?" Allen asked curiously, leaving his hand cupped against Sixty's crotch.

The warmth of Allen's hand was too alluring and Sixty pressed into it. His blush wasn't fading though as he weighed up how to answer.

"Yesterday, I got all dolled up, came to work with a plug and everything. I was so angry you didn't show up, didn't want to get off while thinking of you. Plus, the denial is kind of fun. I may not be a master dick jockey but I'm an expert of my own cock. I know what I like and have no shame or hangups in the privacy of my own home."

He tipped his head to the side as he regarded Allen quietly for a moment.

"I may not be able to get hard like this and the key is at home. But I wonder whether you've ever heard of a prostate massage."

Allen was watching Sixty with open curiosity and fascination, but no judgement. If Sixty wanted to play around with his own body, who was he to judge? Not to mention the fact that he had come in to work yesterday with a plug in was enough to make Allen wish he could get hard again. Fuck, he really had missed out yesterday!

"Fuck, I mean I've heard of them but I've never given one." Allen admitted, watching Sixty carefully, "What exactly are you suggesting?"

Trailing a finger down Allen's cheek, Sixty tried to figure out just what exactly he was suggesting.

"You've been missing out if you've never toyed with your prostate before," he shrugged. "Some people like to be milked dry through stimulation of the prostate, others can achieve an orgasm through it even though they do not get erect."

When in doubt, always fall back on medical and factual language. It made things seem a lot less personal and much easier to discuss. Sixty looked up at Allen with dark eyes. "I think I'm asking whether you want to bend me over my office desk and finger me."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a smutty one fam, get ready for some pwp and some sassy Sixty as usual ;D

Allen's eyebrows shot up into forehead territory as Sixty managed to combine a healthy dose of sterile medical jargon with a completely filthy suggestion. Somehow, despite how weird it all should have been, it was incredibly hot instead. Sixty just had that weird hotness to him and damn it all, Allen was into that.

"Oh  _ hell _ yeah." He said instead of anything more eloquent, "I would be more than happy to do that." Allen had fingered a few of his partners just for pleasure before, so he figured this would be a good chance to get some more practice in.

An odd sort of relief filled Sixty. He'd been expecting Allen to maybe laugh in his face but instead all he saw was unbridled enthusiasm. It was cute in a boyish, charming way.

"Let me get some lube," he suggested lowly and was moving off, out of his office and into the morgue where he knew there were packets of the stuff used for examinations. Grabbing a handful of them, he tried not to rush and betray his eagerness.

"I trust you know what you're doing and what you're looking for," he said, hands stopping on his flies, making sure he wasn't going to be wasting his time because Allen chickened out.

Allen was down as hell for almost any sort of consensual sex, he just had never been with any sort of kinky partners. Face fucking was the most out there thing he had ever regularly participated in, and he was aware that was pretty vanilla. To have Sixty taking the lead like this after his hesitancy and inexperience earlier was extremely attractive. And Allen was even letting himself call Sixty attractive in his head with no guilt.

“I’ve fingered people before, I know how that works.” Allen reassured him, standing and tucking himself back into his pants. If he managed to get hard again once they started he might pull his dick back out, but for now this was about Sixty. “You’ll just have to let me know when I land on your prostate, think you can do that for me?” He asked, letting his voice drop into a lower, more sultry tone.

It was impossible to tell who was calling the shots. Or even who wanted to be the one in charge. Sixty grinned and let his trousers fall to the ground before stretching over his desk.

"You'll know when you hit it, don't worry," he promised and spread his legs a little. The cock cage was no doubt glinting between his legs, already slick with precome. If things went well, there was going to be so much more of it, like a slow waterfall down the side of his desk. Oddly, he relished the possibility of being caught, of having to explain how he got his office desk so messy.

Allen's mouth went dry as he caught sight of that slick metal contraption between Sixty's legs. Fuck. Part of him wanted to sink down and lick it clean, but that was a little too vulnerable even now. Sixty would probably have some choice words to say about how eager he was for dick.

"I am the opposite of worried right now." Allen reassured him with a low chuckle, He grabbed a few packets of lube, thoroughly coating his fingers and rubbing it between them to warm the substance up. In his own experience, there was nothing more awkward than a cold finger trying to breach you.

The moment's pause and thought to warm up the lube was deeply appreciated by Sixty but it didn't stop him from wriggling his hips impatiently. He missed the low, sultry tones Allen had used earlier.

"Think you could talk to me while you do it?" he asked sweetly. It wasn't something he'd ever tried before and he was curious.

The shift in tone from demanding things to just asking nicely for what he wanted wasn’t something that escaped Allen. And as much as he didn’t expect it to last, he kind of...liked it. It was pleasant. Which was odd, but fuck it, so was fingering his coworker/rival over his desk at the DPD morgue. 

With his non-lubed hand, Allen grabbed a nice handful of Sixty’s ass, giving it a good massage before spreading him open. “I’m happy to talk, I’ve got the best seat in the house right now.” He replied, smirking as he teased round Sixty’s hole with one slick finger.

Looking over his shoulder with a fierce glare, Sixty growled at Allen.

"Don't fucking tease, I'm good for two fingers already." He wasn't lying either. Just because he didn't have someone to mess around with didn't mean he was a blushing virgin who could barely take a finger. As much as the angle allowed, he pushed back against Allen's hand, urging him to get on with it.

Allen clucked his tongue against his teeth, biting back a remark against being impatient. He had planned on having a fun time, slowly working his way into Sixty one finger at a time, but apparently that was not on the menu. 

“Alright, have it your way.” Allen said with a shrug. He did exactly as Sixty asked, slipping two fingers into him at a pace that was just below too fast in his opinion.

A soft "fuck" left Sixty as he focused on the feel of the fingers in him. It was so different when someone else did it that he had to take a moment to close his eyes and appreciate it. Allen was impossible to predict or really control like Sixty could a toy. Which left him quivering and panting, bent over his desk and absolutely at Allen's mercy.

Allen hummed softly in appreciation as he felt Sixty take him in so easily. He really hadn’t been lying when he said he was ready, which made Allen wonder just how often he played around with himself. With just the two fingers he started exploring, pushing in and curling them in an attempt to find the prostate and then abuse it.

As he worked, Allen kept talking, asking, “You take this so well, have you been working yourself open regularly? Plugging yourself up, hm? Or playing with big toys?”

"Both," Sixty's voice was barely a whisper. "Some days I like coming to work with a plug and a harness under my clothes. Or take a slow ride with a jiggle ball in me."

Why he was telling Allen this so freely, it was beyond him but in that moment he didn't care much. The fingers in him felt warm and thick, a hiss of air escaped from between his teeth when Allen found his prostate.

That low hum purred it’s way out of Allen’s throat again at the revelation that Sixty was, in fact, an even kinkier bastard than he had thought. Thinking about him riding around town on that insufferable motorcycle with a toy stuffed inside of him...god, it really made Allen wish he could get hard again. 

“You know what you like and you don’t hesitate to take it, I like that.” He purred, repeating the motion that had made Sixty hiss and making a mental note of the location, “I bet you get off on wondering if someone will notice.”

Sixty wasn't certain whether Allen saw his nod but he was too busy pressing against the table, trying not to rut into it like some shameless slut.

"You never noticed," he managed to slightly slur. A trickle of precome was sticky on his thigh and more oozed from his cock each time Allen pressed down on his prostate.

Allen didn’t need to see Sixty nod to know the answer. He started a slow rhythm, fucking his fingers in and out and each time landing the pressure squarely on his prostate. It was satisfying, watching him start to fall apart like this.

“I will now,” Allen promised with a smirk, “don’t think I won’t be watching you now, every time you roll up on that terrible bike of yours, letting that engine vibrate under you.”

It was a little surprising, how much Allen seemed to be, if not into it, then at least rolling with Sixty's revelations. If he'd had more brain cells to spare, Sixty would have pondered more about it. As it was though, all his concentration was focused on how good he felt. The slow roll of pleasure which began to rise before ebbing as Allen pulled back was making his legs tremble, occasionally his thigh twitched. Usually, he wasn't this far gone so quickly, but having Allen do it and talk in a low, soft voice like that was making Sixty slowly lose his mind.

Allen was honestly pretty surprised himself, at how into Sixty’s behavior he was. But he wasn’t questioning it right now, just taking it as something sexy and nothing more. Anything more and then he’d have to  _ really _ avoid thinking about why he was so interested. Because sex or not, they were still rivals.

Allen kept his focus on Sixty’s pleasure instead, watching the way his body was shivering and twitching. As he started to fall apart further, Allen increased the pace, putting more pressure on Sixty’s prostate. “You need more? Want me to put a third finger in?” He teased in that same low tone, “Bet you could even take a fourth, wouldn’t that be a pretty picture.”

That sparked a moment of rivalry and Sixty turned to look at Allen.

"I can take a whole fucking fist but you haven't earned that privilege yet. Now get back to milking me dry before your wrist cramps up."

Allen snorted, twisting his fingers wickedly and leaving them pressed up against just the right spot. “You really in a good position to be snapping like that?” He asked, although his brain was altogether too busy imagining the possibility of getting his whole fist up inside Sixty.

Everything flew out of Sixty's mind as the pressure kept up and he gasped out a harsh breath as his body seized up, hips twitching and legs trembling. Sagging into the desk, he angled his hips a little to keep Allen's fingers pressed down in him for a scant few extra seconds. His thighs were sticky from how much he had been leaking, the weak spurt of come at the end had probably hit the back of his desk. Rather than move, he lay there, basking despite the stolen t-shirt sticking to his sweaty back and his hair a mess from where he'd run a hand through it repeatedly.

Allen watched with rapt attention as Sixty fell apart, continuing to gently move his fingers as he continued to twitch. He didn’t want to genuinely overstimulate the poor man though, so after a few seconds he pulled his fingers out and watched him bask. “You look good like this,” he murmured, feeling oddly vulnerable in the moment. Sixty did, in his defense, look amazing like this, all sweat slick and covered in his own come.

Allen couldn’t resist any more, despite his better judgement he sunk to the floor and nudged Sixty aside slightly so he could begin to lap up the mess across his thighs.  _ Call me a slut all you wan _ _t_, he thought privately,  _ but this is too tempting of a picture to resist _ . He had a firm grip on both of Sixty’s legs to keep him steady, since he seemed on the verge of collapsing.

If Sixty thought breathing was troublesome before, he completely forgot the mechanism for inhaling and exhaling now. Allen's tongue was so warm against his thighs, working up, closer to his cock which throbbed in its cage. Each breath was a harsh gasp and it caught in his throat when Allen's lips nudged against the cage.

He was too fucked out to be able to do anything but allow Allen to do as he wished. No quips burned at the tip of his tongue. Instead, he moved his hips a little further from the edge of the desk so he could work a hand between himself and the table. Reaching down, he blindly stroked Allen's hair and jaw as he could reach.

Allen took his time, letting his tongue lap up every sticky streak before he made his way up to the cage. Oh, that was quite the contraption. Later, he might ask for a better look at it, but for now he simply took it in his mouth, gently sucking and licking Sixty clean.

The hand on his head was a surprise, but Allen took it as a good sign. He smiled slightly around the cage, his hands massaging gently at Sixty’s thighs. Only once he deemed everything clean did he pull back, with a rather obscene pop.

The only way Sixty could describe how he felt was liquid heat. His bones no longer existed, his muscles were loose and useless and there was not a hope of hell in him getting up and putting himself back together any time soon. To his utter mortification, when Allen moved away, he let out a sad little whine but didn't move.

Allen just smiled, pleased that his handiwork had left Sixty so clearly destroyed. It was satisfying to have a sort of win over him, but also if he was being honest Allen was just happy to see Sixty relaxed. He was always wound so tight, and that couldn’t be healthy. 

Slowly getting to his feet, Allen stroked one hand down Sixty’s back, asking “You need to sit down now? You look wrecked.”

Sliding down onto the floor in a semi-controlled manner, Sixty offered Allen a dazed little smile.

"You going to stand there and look pretty? Or you going to come and cuddle?" he mocked gently, arm already out to make room for Allen. Before he could get an answer, the door to the morgue went.

"Oh fuck!" Sixty swore and scrambled to his feet, hastily pulling his trousers up and grumbling as someone called his name. "Just a second!" he yelled and gave Allen an unreadable look, nostrils flaring in annoyance. His heart was pounding in his chest, blood rushing in his ears as he tried to re-balance himself. As much as he would have liked to have taken a bit more time, it seemed that life was conspiring against him. Opening the door, he ushered Allen out.

"It was very kind of you to come and personally say thank you for the morgue's help in yesterday's sting." He smiled sweetly. "It is often the case that the muscle of law enforcement gets the credit while the brains are forgotten and ignored even though nothing could happen without them."

Allen was taken by surprise at the incredibly soft look that had suddenly overtaken Sixty. That was, if he was being honest, incredibly attractive. And in this particular moment, Allen was being honest. He was already bending forward to try and get in close for a snuggle, no questions asked, when suddenly the world became a problem once more. 

Allen straightened up instantly at the sound of a voice outside. He gave them both a quick once over, making sure nothing was  _ too _ out of sorts. The only thing he did end up fixing was Sixty’s hair, reaching out and quickly rearranging it to make him look somewhat less fucked out. His own appearance was fairly impeccable, and right before they got to the door he remembered to throw away that condom.

“My pleasure.” Allen said, and his reply was barely forced, the meeting from earlier still weighing on his mind. “Keep up the good work here, SWAT is counting on a continued, fruitful partnership.” He gave Sixty a nod and a small smile before excusing himself, returning to work with a head swimming full of odd thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to handle the fallout of that little play session... Will our boys get a chance for a little quiet time together after work?

Allen certainly wasn’t worried about Sixty as he left work later though, trusting him to be able to pull himself together after a work quickie. Returning home, he was pleased to actually see his bike again, returned from the shop with fresh paint and a new tailpipe. There was even a little bonus gift - Sixty’s number listed as the contact on the receipt. Allen barely thought twice before he dialed it, intending to just give a brief thanks.

Throughout the afternoon, Sixty's mood had gotten darker and darker. The smallest things made him snap. From a body being left for him to finish up because the trainee couldn't stomach a bit of decomposition to the fact that a form he'd requested from the coroner still hadn't come.

By the time he got home, Sixty was itching for something but he didn't know what. Angrily, he all but yanked the cock cage off himself and cleaned up roughly, rinsing the residue of come and spit off himself. He even cursed Allen for leaving such a mess and leaving the clean up to him. His phone ringing with an unknown number was just the cherry on top of his steaming shitpile of a day.

"What?" he snapped, expecting some cold caller trying to convince him he'd been in a car accident.

Allen was both surprised and not that Sixty sounded pissed as hell when he answered the phone. The part of him that had hoped for a pleasant reception was quickly being stuffed away by the more rational brain that knew him to be a generally unpleasant person.

“It’s just me.” Allen said calmly, “Your number was on the receipt for the bike repairs, wanted to let you know it got back to me in one piece.”

"Great, don't fall off again because Connor sure as shit isn't going to pay for your mistakes again." Sixty snarled and he threw a pan he'd just burnt the omelette in against the counter. Then he cursed as he realised the pan was too hot to put there and yanked it off, forgetting the bottom of the handle was metal and burned his thumb.

"Turd burgling, shrivelled cockless husk, keep burning and see if I fucking care!" He yelled at the pan and shook his hand before turning to run it under the tap. "See if I care if I go to bed hungry," his voice changed to a pathetic whimper, succumbing to tears of rage.

Allen stayed silent as he listened to Sixty throw his tantrum, his first instinct just to say 'Don't plan on it' and hang up. But he had to admit, something deep in his chest felt off when he heard the obvious breakdown that followed the anger. Something was clearly wrong, and he suddenly worried it had something to do with their earlier fooling around. It couldn't have, right? Sixty had seemed really pleased.

"I'm coming over, you're clearly in no state to be cooking, and I don't need a fire department report to look over." Allen announced, "Give me your address and ten minutes, okay?" His voice was calm and forceful, not the kind to be argued with.

"Are you going to come and laugh at me? Bring your buddies to for a good giggle at the inexperienced idiot who can't even cook for himself?"

Sixty was in no mood to play host but he couldn't deny the fact that if Allen had been honest and truly wanted to help, he would actually be a welcome presence. With a deep sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Against his better judgement, he reeled off his address.

"At least bring some pity cake, then I won't report you and your cronies if you do come over to just point and laugh."

"Uh huh, sure. I'll bring my whole squad, I'm sure they'd be  _ so _ excited to be called up right now." Allen replied, rolling his eyes. He scribbled down the address, then added "You stay put, I don't want to have to apply first aid when I arrive." 

Hanging up, Allen let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair in bafflement. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked himself, but even as he said it he was already rifling through the freezer for a few pre-made meals to take with him. 

True to his word, Allen was at Sixty's house within ten minutes, the distance easy to cross with his newly restored bike.

The knock was expected and Sixty stomped over to the door, all but ripping it open. On the other side, it was only Allen in his riding gear, holding a backpack. Smoothing a hand through his hair and trying to hide the fact he'd succumbed to shedding a few tears.

Rather than risk saying anything, he stood aside from the doorway and jerked his head to invite Allen in.

The part of Allen that worried if this was all a setup to prank  _ him _ lost a lot of steam when he saw the fact that Sixty had clearly been crying. Shit. Stepping inside, Allen quietly took off his shoes and backpack, unzipping his jacket and fetching the meals out of his bag.

"Point me to the kitchen." He said simply, unsure of how else to really start.

"Through there." Sixty sullenly gestured towards the kitchen and followed after Allen. He wanted to hide from the man but at the same time he didn't want to be alone.

Leaning against the counter, Sixty crossed his arms over his chest and watched Allen move around the kitchen.

"If you're not here to poke fun, why are you here?"

Allen located a pan and set to heating up the soup - he had grabbed a hearty portion that always warmed him up when he had a particularly bad day at work. Once he was certain it was warming properly he turned to face Sixty and shrugged. "To make sure you don't hurt yourself. You sounded pretty terrible over the phone."

"I thought you think me terrible all round really." Sixty picked at the hem of the t-shirt he was still in. "You wouldn't be the only one."

He shrugged and turned to look out of the window, shoulders hunched and lips pressed into a thin line.

"Sorry," he sniffled, "I don't know what's wrong with me today. You should probably go before I manage to insult you more than I usually mean to."

Allen waited again as Sixty did a complete 180 mood-wise, frowning in concern. "I don't know what's wrong either, but something happened after I left today." He said, watching Sixty carefully, "Did I do something wrong earlier? It was a bit of an abrupt end but still..."

A bitter huff escaped Sixty as he shook his head. Nothing had happened, other than their post coital moment. Realisation slammed into him and he let out a bitter laugh.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's just me being an idiot. Nothing new." He looked at Allen properly for the first time. "You're not familiar with kink, you have no clue what kind of power you were wielding earlier. How could you possibly know about drops?"

He ran a hand over his face, cursing himself. It wasn't like he had accepted Allen as a partner, let alone someone to trust enough to let go around to such an extent. There was no logical reason behind how he was feeling and yet there he was, in the middle of a drop and without a way to pull himself out of it.

Allen's frown deepened as Sixty started to kind of freak out, using a lot of words he had no idea about. He didn't step any closer, because the other man looked like he was on the verge of having a meltdown, but he kind of wanted to. Instead, he stayed where he was, hands loose at his sides and posture relaxed despite his concern.

"What exactly is a drop? Is there something I should have done?" Allen asked, "Or...something I should be doing now?" He had no idea how his behavior earlier could have caused such a foul mood, but then again as Sixty put it, he really wasn't familiar with anything really kinky.

"Nothing," Sixty stubbornly refused to give in. He couldn't ask to be held, to be reassured that it was all going to be okay, that he didn't have to always be on guard and defensive.

"Just-" He straightened up and gave Allen a tight smile. "-I don't think I'm up for our usual barbs right now. Seeing as you've been kind enough to bring dinner, stay and eat but I think I'll be even worse company than usual."

What Sixty wanted, if he couldn't have the reassurance of someone holding him, was to burrow into his blanket, possibly have a good cry and try to fall asleep. It wasn't like he didn't already have a good head start on the tears front and the rest didn't feel like they were too far behind. He hoped that he could at least hold out until Allen took his leave.

Allen could have just given in, shrugged, and let the evening continue however Sixty wanted. It wasn't like he had a big stake in this going well. Somehow though, the obvious lie Sixty was trying to feed him was hitting just the wrong way. Allen dug in his metaphorical heels.

"If I'm sticking around for dinner, I want you to tell me what you actually need." He insisted, crossing his arms. The soup was almost warm behind him, but he had another few minutes to stare Sixty down. "I clearly did something wrong, and I'm not the kind of person who leaves a mess behind if he can help it."

Metaphorically cornered, Sixty's eyes widened in fear. With Allen threatening to leave before dinner, he wasn't left with much of a choice.

"You didn't do anything wrong. If anything, you did things too right. Look up subdrop to understand." As much as he wanted to, he couldn't give voice to what he needed, even if he shuffled a little closer along the counter, until he was at the limits of socially acceptable distances.

Mentally filing that term away for later, Allen nodded seriously. He was watching Sixty's body language carefully, and had been this whole time. All his instincts told him that the other man wanted to be held, but for some reason just...wasn't bridging that gap or vocalizing. 

Steeling himself for the inevitable teasing if he guessed wrong, Allen stepped closer to Sixty and uncrossed his arms, saying quietly, "Is it alright if I touch you now?" He was using his work voice now, the one he used for really nervous hostages, but Sixty didn't need to know that.

At least that got an eye roll and a scoff from Sixty.

"I'm not some fainting witness, no need to use that voice on me if you want to get your dirty paws all over my body." He huffed out a humourless laugh. "Just remember my brother is The Negotiator at the DPD." 

Despite his grumbles, he moved closer until his shoulder almost brushed Allen's, appreciative of the warmth of another body so close to him.

Allen was being very generous right now for not just throwing his hands up and leaving. Instead he reached behind to turn off the stove with one hand, while the other reached out and wrapped around Sixty, pressing him against Allen’s chest. Well, given the height difference it was sort of the other way around, but it was the thought that counted!

Allen’s grip was firm but not bruising, if Sixty wanted to escape he could. “Thought we were calling a truce tonight.” He murmured, gently reminding Sixty that he had insisted earlier he’d have no stomach for their usual banter.

Firm arms around him and a warm body to lean into, Sixty almost sagged. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around Allen.

"Sorry, sorry," he whispered. "It's a bad habit."

Internally, Sixty cursed himself for being such a mess, for letting himself get so deep without realising. Whatever next? Was he going to start calling Allen 'Sir'? He was pathetic. Only as he mulled these things over did he realise that he was trembling, his face wet with unpermitted tears. Humiliation flashed through him and he tried to push away, wiping at his cheeks with a surprised little "oh!"

Allen found that despite everything, he was honest to god pretty worried about Sixty. Whatever was happening to him, it was obviously incredibly distressing. And sure, sure, they were coworkers at best, enemies at worst, but it was hard to be mean to someone when they were crying and didn’t want to be. Personally, Allen hated crying just as much as the next person, so he could see why Sixty was upset.

Allen didn’t say anything, he just stood there and held Sixty close. He could pretend that he wasn’t crying, that was something he could manage.

It looked like Allen was intent on ignoring Sixty having a quiet breakdown and he couldn't decide if that was better or worse. At the same time, Sixty couldn't get a read on him, couldn't even fathom what was going through his mind. As stoic and unflappable as usual.

Timidly, Sixty cleared his throat. "Could we maybe sit down please?"

Allen assumed that if he dared say anything about Sixty’s little meltdown he’d get chewed out once again. When he spoke up in that quiet little voice though, something twisted awkwardly in his chest. “Of course.” He replied, pulling away just a tiny bit to look up at the other man, “You want me to bring the soup? Or save that for later?”

Making choices was suddenly too hard, Sixty tried to second guess what Allen wanted. He was probably hungry, he brought food over that was enough for both of them. Which probably meant he wanted to eat.

"We can eat now," he offered and pulled away, already missing the warmth. "Do you want me to get spoons?"

Allen had been about to fix dinner for himself at home, but he wasn’t starving. He certainly didn’t mind eating, but now his focus was mainly on Sixty. “Yeah, I’ll get some bowls, head out to the couch and I’ll join you.” He instructed. It seemed like body contact was the order of the evening, so snuggling up on the sofa made the most sense.

Two spoons in hand, Sixty shuffled out to the sofa and slumped down onto it. He managed to drag a throw from the back of it and wrapped up in it. While it was warm, it wasn't the kind of heat he was craving, and he burrowed in a bit deeper into it. The tickle in his throat from earlier in the day was back and he tried to clear it away without coughing.

The sound of Allen approaching had him look up with bleary eyes and he tried his best to look a little less pathetic.

Allen poured the soup into two bowls and headed out towards the sofa. The sight of Sixty curled up like a little blanket burrito was both adorable and pathetic at the same time, and he had to fight the urge to bundle him up in his arms again. Instead, he held out one bowl of soup until Sixty took it, then settled on the sofa next to him with his own bowl.

“Eat up, it should be just warm enough.” He said gently, scooting so he was pressed up against Sixty with the blanket between them.

The soup was good. Really good. Just the right amount of warmth that it soothed something in Sixty without it burning. He sent Allen a shy smile.

"Thank you." The effect was ruined by a sneeze which he hid in the crook of his elbow, barely avoiding spilling his soup. Blinking a little, didn't dare glance up at Allen, dreading the look of contempt or disgust he anticipated.

Allen’s answering smile turned into a concerned frown as he heard that sneeze. Suddenly, a few more things were falling into place. “Are you feeling alright?” He asked, reaching over and putting the back of his hand on Sixty’s forehead. If he was sick, that would mean everything else happening would be amplified and worsened.

"'M fine," Sixty tried to shrug the hand off his forehead. "You don't want to be touching me, I'm still sweaty and stinky from earlier."

He tried to busy himself with the soup and not squirm under Allen's stare.

Sixty was a little warm to the touch, but Allen couldn’t be quite sure about it. He decided it wasn’t worth the fight, removing his hand and returning to the soup. 

“Not like I wasn’t touching you earlier, when all that sweat and stickiness was being generated.” He joked.

A small smile made itself at home on Sixty's lips at the memory. It was fun, even if it had started off as a hate fuck rather than anything else.

"No regrets?" he asked softly, setting his half finished soup off to the side, not feeling especially hungry.

Allen shook his head, taking another slurp of soup before he replied “None at all. Why would I? Consensual messing around, nothing but good there.” He didn’t quite know what said messing around was leading to, but even that he didn’t have regrets over. Sixty was turning out to be a much more complex person than he had first seemed.

There wasn't much Sixty could really say to that. He curled up tighter and slipped down the sofa, half laying down, eyes heavy and burning a little. Watching sleepily as Allen ate, he tried to stifle a yawn.

"You might not mind consensual play but I doubt you were anticipating this much baggage coming along with it. Or do you bring all your playmates soup when they cry down the phone at you?"

Allen polished off the soup and set the bowl aside, making an executive decision to do whatever he thought was best, regardless of embarrassment. He reached over and tugged Sixty towards him, tipping over the blanket burrito so he could rest his head on Allen’s lap. Then he wrapped his arms around Sixty, securing him firmly once more.

“Don’t think I’ve ever had anyone call me on the phone after sex to cry, that usually happens right afterwards if it’s really bad.” He joked, then added in a more serious tone, “I wasn’t doing anything tonight anyways, it’s not a big deal Sixty.”

Taken by surprise at the manhandling, Sixty let out a soft "meep" but allowed himself to be bundled into Allen's lap. It was nice, more than nice and Sixty found himself melting into what could only be described as a cuddle.

"Thank you," he looked up at Allen's face. "I'm sure you have a life you want to be living though. If I needed anyone, I could call Connor or Nines, it's not date night for them so they'd come over." He cleared his throat. "What I'm trying to say is, you don't have to worry about me. I'm big, old and ugly enough to claw myself through a drop like this."

Allen allowed himself to relax as Sixty settled onto his lap. It was comfortable, with the weight on his legs and the fluffy blanket against him. This wasn’t the worst way to spend an evening, he admitted to himself.

Allen looked down at Sixty as he tried yet again to get rid of him. He shook his head, replying “The way I see it, if you were going to call one of your brothers you would have done that already. Which means you don’t actually want me to leave, you just don’t want to ask me to stay.” His mouth quirked up in a half smile, adding “And anyways, I’m an adult. If I didn’t want to be here I’d have left by now, okay? Let me sit here in peace.”

It certainly settled the matter and Sixty closed his eyes, trying to relax into the touch. Something just wasn't working though and he shuffled around, uncomfortable and a bit too hot under the blanket. Kicking it off, he sighed and sniffled a little, nose tickling with the threat of a sneeze. Stubbornly, he scrunched his nose and turned so his forehead pressed into Allen's stomach. He was still half cursing something about the lumpiness of his couch in his mind when he fell asleep.

Allen let Sixty squirm around, a bemused expression on his face as he threw off the blanket and squashed his head up against his stomach. It reminded him of Gavin’s cats... Once Sixty was asleep there wasn’t much for Allen to do but also nod off.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features Sixty getting up from his nap and immediately going to bed. Please enjoy this hot Sixty-on-bed action ;D
> 
> Allen is also there, and he is having a Potential Emotion.

A nap in the evening was not something Sixty ever enjoyed, it messed him up for sleeping through the night and he always jerked awake groggy, feeling sick. It was no different this time either and his heart rate picked up in a panic when there was someone else on his sofa with him. A few moments later, he remembered and sat up quietly.

The whole world felt stifling yet cold. The sore throat he'd been telling himself was from trying to get Allen too deep was a scratchy patch of pain that hurt with each swallow and made his inner ear pulse with it. Quietly, he rolled off the sofa and guided Allen to lie down properly, tucking him in before padding to the kitchen. It wasn't anything a few pills couldn't sort. He grabbed them from the cupboard and ran the sink. Rather than dirty a glass, he ended up cupping his hand under the water.

Allen was a man who had the lucky talent of falling asleep easily and getting a fair amount of benefit from the short naps he got. It came in handy when he was out on the job and the squad was taking shifts watching for some sort of sting operation, and it came in handy here. He wasn’t, however, that heavy of a sleeper that he was going to sleep through being moved and also losing the source of heat that was the second body next to him. 

Allen sat up slowly, rubbing sleep from his eyes before he gave a little stretch. Sixty was gone, which was worrying. He was starting to get tired of this cat and mouse game, drop or cold or whatever be damned. Standing up, he padded into the kitchen and found Sixty drinking from the sink, saying “No more glasses in the house?”

Straightening up, Sixty tried not to show how much he'd jumped at the voice because he'd not heard Allen come in. A scathing reply would have been fitting but he didn't have the energy for it.

"Couldn't be bothered," he said and blinked. His voice was raspy and husky and he huffed in resigned acceptance. "Is this what people mean when talking about being hoarse after sucking cock?"

His head felt like it was stuffed full of cotton wool, noises were sharper and his own voice echoed in his head. A small shiver passed through him and he made up his mind, wandering over to the thermostat and turning it up.

Allen laughed at Sixty’s attempt at humor, replying “If I sounded that bad after I sucked dick, people would start to wonder at work.” It was obvious now that he was sick - question was if he was actually going to do anything about it. Watching Sixty shuffle about in the kitchen, Allen leaned casually on the doorframe and wondered what the hell he was doing here. Whatever it was, he didn’t feel like leaving quite yet. 

“You need to lay down again.” Allen said as he watched Sixty turn up the thermostat, “You’re definitely sick now, sleep it off.”

The growl in Sixty's chest caught on a cough which he stubbornly turned into a harsh, suppressed throat clearing.

"I did not catch cooties from you," he muttered. Connor and Nines had always accused him of being a pedantic asshole and, just to get a fun rise out of Allen, Sixty decided to live up to that. He lay down on the floor where he was, not even trying to hide his grin.

Allen set his jaw and shook his head at Sixty’s antics. His patience for these shenanigans was reaching its end, and Sixty was going to have to deal with the consequences.

“Seems like you’re too exhausted to even make it to bed, but don’t worry. The muscle of the SWAT team is at your service.” He announced loudly, striding over and scooping Sixty up in his arms before he could escape. “Don’t worry sir, express delivery to your bed is guaranteed!”

Normally, Sixty would have squealed and squirmed at the manhandling, maybe even kicked a bit but the shout came out more as a hoarse bleat and it hurt enough to bring a tear to his eye as his ear popped. Subdued and caught up in the pain, he tucked his head into the crook of Allen's neck with a small whimper.

Allen sighed and in a moment of weakness pressed a kiss to the top of Sixty’s head. It was reflexive when someone nuzzled close like that. He carried him out of the kitchen and guessed at the location of the bedroom, nudging it open with his foot.

“Here we are.” Allen said, depositing Sixty as gently as possible into the bed, “Now tell me what you need. Water? Cold pills?”

Sixty shook his head.

"I'd just taken pills when you came into the kitchen." He eyed Allen with fever bright eyes. "Though I've often heard of the mythical healing properties of cuddling..."

He knew he was pushing his luck but Allen had been right earlier. There was not a chance that Sixty would call his brothers if Allen left but at the same time, he didn't really fancy being alone. The drop was still lingering, mixing with the general misery of having a cold. Still, he couldn't have it all be utterly serious.

"You could even dig out the nurse outfit from the closet."

Allen snorted, replying “Push your luck any further with that costume shit and I’ll be out the door.” But even as he spoke he was already circling round the bed to get in under the covers on the other side. He’d need to head out early the next morning to get his work uniform, but he’d manage. He was, after all, a big boy.

As Allen got comfortable and waited for Sixty to get into whatever cuddle position he wanted, he added with a teasing smirk, “I knew you’d be the type to have a nurse costume”

Honestly? Sixty couldn't remember the last time he had been cuddled. It was nice and he was a little uncertain whether he was allowed to snuggle in, or even if there was some unwritten rule of having to be the cuddler because he was the taller one as opposed to being the cuddlee.

"You would bust a nut if you saw half my outfits," he rasped. Talking was painful but he was determined to get them out. "Waste so much money on them but nobody to actually wear them for. Not as much fun when you're on your own."

Allen saw Sixty hesitating once again and took things into his own hands. Sixty was sick, so Allen was going to be the cuddler, heights be damned. Anyways, he had been told he was a pretty good cuddler, thanks to his big strong arms and firm hug. He quickly bundled Sixty up against his chest, relaxing in the hopes of encouraging a similar reaction.

Allen couldn't help but laugh at that, but he paused, asking "Is that an invitation?" It sure sounded like one, and after all of this...whatever this was, he figured he deserved a bit of a reward.

Heaven had nothing on the bliss that was the experience of being held by Allen. A small smile curled Sixty's lips up as he pressed against the solid heat.

"Didn't think it was your sort of thing. Don't even know if you're doing this because you feel obligated, because you want to lord it over me or because you might actually care." His voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper. Still, he pushed the words out, despite how raw it all felt. "Sometimes I think my brothers are the only ones that care and even then it's only out of obligation."

His head was swimming, loud despite the silence and Sixty shivered. Despite turning the thermostat up, being bundled in blankets and having Allen next to him, he still managed to feel cold. A distant part of him noted that it wasn't good, that it meant that his temperature was still on the rise but Sixty didn't know what he could do about it in that moment.

Allen felt his heart sink as Sixty was finally honest with him. He had been half hoping for, half dreading this moment. It was a turning point in a relationship that was already teetering away from enemies and rivals, and now, happily snuggled up, Allen had to admit they were at least tentative friends with benefits. 

“Well I’m certainly not going to lord this over you.” Allen reassured him gently, “Whatever’s been happening these past few days, I think we’re well past the point of genuinely wanting to hurt each other. At least, I am.” He paused, swallowing hard as he realized how weirdly vulnerable that was. “I’m here cause I want to be. That’s about as much as I know myself.” He admitted, voice oddly soft in the silence of the room.

Allen could feel Sixty shivering against him and murmured “Sleep now though, if you can. I’m not going anywhere, we can figure this out later.” Maybe by then he’d have a better guess himself.

Already half asleep, Sixty's eyes were shut but he tried to force a response out.

"I never wanted to hurt you," his voice was all but gone, the words no much more than a high pitched rush of air. He tried to keep going though even as the words become less comprehensible, lips moving against Allen's chest but no sound really came out. "I didn't want you to know I liked you."

Allen heard enough to make something deep in his chest ache, and he squeezed Sixty a tiny bit closer to himself. One hand moved up and gently, almost timidly, stroked across the back of his neck, wanting to pet through his hair but still unsure. It was the only time this evening that Allen’s movements hadn’t been confident, but he hoped Sixty would be asleep already.

The slightly unsteady touch jerked Sixty awake and he peered up at Allen.

"Don't do anything you're not comfortable with."

He lay back down and tried to breathe but it was starting to be a struggle so he rolled onto his side, facing away from Allen and coughed miserably. Exhausted but uncomfortable, he closed his eyes and hoped to nod off.

Allen cursed a little internally at Sixty having noticed him. That wasn’t really what he had been hoping for. “I’m more than comfortable here with you.” He reassured.

When Sixty rolled over, Allen readjusted his grip to continue holding him, but couldn’t fall asleep just yet. There was too much to think about. It was quite a bit until he finally closed his eyes and nodded off.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sixty battles a cold and Allen battles Sixty's siblings - who will come out on top? (wink wink)

Waking up while sick was always disorienting. Sixty had kicked the covers off and grimaced at how his borrowed t-shirt was soaked in sweat. Everything ached and his mouth was dry. Rolling out of bed, licked at his dry lips and shuffled towards the kitchen. Behind him there was a snuffle and he looked over at Allen, puzzled why he was still there. Surely cuddling a sick guy who you had a weird hate-fuck relationship with was not his idea of a fun evening.

Out in the kitchen he tried to speak but nothing came out. He definitely wasn't going in to work like that. Both Connor and Nines had shifts and Sixty resigned himself to a day home alone, under a pile of blankets until his stomach rumbled enough to haul himself into the kitchen to try and find something he could swallow.

Once he was asleep Allen slept well, finding comfort in having another body next to him to cuddle. It had been a while since he had been in a relationship with a cuddler, and this was quite nice. Maybe a little less than ideal thanks to Sixty wiggling and sweating, but nothing that disturbed him over much.

It wasn’t long after Sixty woke up that Allen’s alarm went off, his eyes popping open right away as was the norm. He was a morning person by habit - SWAT trained early, and often worked late. Sitting up, he stretched and yawned, then realized belatedly that Sixty was gone. Strange, he had never been ditched in someone else’s house, Allen thought somewhat bitterly. He stood up and headed out to try and find the other man before he had to leave for work. Well, his own house, then work.

The fridge was a blessing Sixty had never considered before. It was blissfully cold and he stood by the open door while trying to swallow down some yogurt and honey. It wasn't going all that well, his eyes were watering with each swallow and Sixty knew he should take some pills but couldn't face the prospect of something solid scraping past his tender throat.

His eyes drifted to the casserole dish in the fridge and his stomach rumbled in want. At least his appetite was coming back even if he couldn't taste much and was wiping his nose on a paper towel every other breath like a champ. In short, he felt disgusting. A cool shower and clean clothes were in order. Unfortunately, his hopes of doing it before Allen woke up were dashed when he looked up and the man was staring at him from the doorway.

Allen stood and watched Sixty scarfing yoghurt out of the cup while standing halfway in the fridge and wondered why on earth it was such an endearing look. He couldn’t bring himself to disturb the scene, only speaking up when Sixty turned and saw him. “Sadly I’ve gotta head out to work now.” He announced, “But you should call in sick, don’t push yourself today.”

It was clear from the way that Sixty looked that he was still incredibly sick. Allen wondered dimly if he was going to be on his own all day. Probably, which worried him somehow.

There was no point in trying to speak so Sixty saluted him with his yoghurt before looking back at the fridge. Waving frantically to keep Allen's attention, he began pulling things out. Fixings for sandwiches, also stuff for eggs and beans on toast. Considering the man had been courteous enough to bring him dinner and spend the night, the least he could do was offer breakfast and a packed lunch.

Admittedly, his waving and pointing wasn't doing much so Sixty stepped away from the cool of the fridge and grabbed his phone, intent on typing out his message.

Help yourself to food before you go. And take something for lunch too. I hear the leftover casserole is to die for.

He winked at Allen as he tilted the screen to show the message.

Allen watched in mild amusement as Sixty tried to pantomime. He had never been good at charades, so he didn’t have a chance at figuring out what he was trying to say. And the food being placed out was just reminding him that he was hungry and breakfast was going to be a rush deal.

When the phone came out, Allen leaned forward curiously and read the message, half thinking it was going to be some weird dirty message. Instead he slowly smiled, replying “Thanks, I’ll gladly take some breakfast.” The bit about the casserole had him barking out a laugh, turning to start on breakfast as he said “I don’t trust any casserole dish you’ve had your hands on! I may like sucking dick but I can’t eat wood.” He still wasn’t over the whole olive branch debacle.

But you suck my wood so pretty! Sixty typed frantically and nudged Allen with his hip to get his attention.

The olive branch was meant to be a joke. Sorry. May I treat you to dinner one evening? I promise not to cry into the pan.

He really was making an effort to be nice. Allen had been nothing but courteous, kind and sweet since he came over. Perhaps it was time Sixty stopped being an ass too. As an afterthought, he added his number to the message along with "if you should ever need a sassy brat to call."

Allen snorted, stuffing toast into the toaster as he pulled together a breakfast sandwich of sorts. “Don’t worry, your wood is the only kind I’ll touch.” He replied with a wink. The next part of the message took him by surprise, but he couldn’t deny it was a little touching to finally see Sixty being a little genuine. 

“Yeah, that sounds nice. I’d like to finally sit down and just eat a normal meal with you.” Allen admitted, “Maybe we can manage it without getting interrupted somehow.” The past few attempts at lunch or dinner together just really hadn’t gone well. And when he was mellowed out, Allen had to admit Sixty wasn’t bad company. He noted the phone number down again, not bothering to remind Sixty he had already called once - he must have already been half delirious from sickness.

Sixty blinked at him a few times before a sly smirk crossed his face.

My wood's the only kind you'll touch. I mean, I always knew I had a great dick but to have you wanting it exclusively so soon is a bit quick.

The full effect of his quip was sadly ruined when the toast popped out with a loud clang and Sixty jumped, instinct making him reach a hand for Allen's shoulder to try and pull him out of danger too.

Allen had been in the middle of retorting that that was not at all what he meant when the toaster going off scared Sixty so bad he jumped. He couldn’t do much but laugh then, taking Sixty’s hand and squeezing it as he said “Good thing I’ve got my brave scientist here to protect me from the toast! Don’t know where I’d be without you.” The teasing was lighthearted, and clearly Allen didn’t mean anything by it, if the grin he was sporting was anything to go by.

The indignant "oi" was more of a hoarse breath which hurt but in the moment, Sixty forgot his voice was gone until it was too late. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed his phone.

You'll be thanking me when I prevent the next plague and let you jump the queue for the vaccine.

He sat up on the counter and watched Allen finish making himself breakfast, his own yoghurt forgotten.

Allen was still chuckling as he finished off his sandwich, saluting Sixty with it. “I appreciate your dedication to saving my sorry ass.” He said, taking a bite and eyeing the clock once more. Damn. He really was going to be late if he didn’t hurry up.

“Alright, you get back into bed as soon as I’m gone.” Allen instructed, grabbing his biking jacket and pulling it on, “Your big ol’ brain needs the rest if it’s gonna save the world.”

Hopping off the counter, Sixty trailed after Allen as he got ready. He wasn't sure what he wanted but he was reluctant for the man to leave. For the first time, it was a blessing his voice was gone because it meant he couldn't say anything stupid or ask if Allen would let him know he got to work okay.

He tried to type a message several times but deleted each iteration, none quite sounding right or genuine. In the end, he settled on a half-assed few lines.

It's a fine ass, it needs saving. But my brothers would still be in front of you in the queue.

Have a good day. Thank you for last night. While I can't tell you personally, I do really appreciate it.

Allen was similarly struggling with what to say. After last night’s revelation he had been mulling over his own feelings, trying to sort out how he felt about Sixty. The answers he kept coming up with were...hard to fit into the narrative he had spent so long building in his head about Sixty and who he was. Because it turned out he was actually a pretty sweet guy that Allen found himself wanting to take care of. 

“You’re welcome.” Allen replied with a small smile, “I’m glad I could help out, sorry I can’t stay longer.” He opened his mouth to say something about coming back later for lunch, then decided to keep that a secret. Instead, he reached up and ruffled at Sixty’s hair, saying “Take care of yourself, no more trying to cook and getting burned, okay?”

Sixty really must have been more ill than he'd thought when he didn't bristle at the hair ruffling. Instead, he swooped down and pressed a dry kiss to Allen's cheek and pretended that his blush was from his fever. He waved before closing the door behind Allen and blinked sleepily. There were a few people he needed to text before curling up on the sofa under a pile of blankets, deciding the sleeping it all off was probably his best course of action.

Allen somehow managed to make it to work without anyone noticing that he hadn’t slept in his own bed. Not that it would be particularly shameful, but he wasn’t sure if Sixty wanted that information circulating. Another thing to mull over. By the time afternoon rolled around, he was certain of one thing though - he wasn’t going to let the poor man sit alone in his house all day.

At precisely noon, Allen arrived at Sixty’s house once more, carryout Indian food in hand and no real excuse other than ‘I wanted to make sure you were okay.’ He rang the bell and settled in to wait for Sixty to crawl out of bed and answer the door.

Inside the house, the shrill sound of the doorbell broke the peaceful silence. Connor soothed Sixty back to sleep with a gentle hand through his hair and internally cursed whatever idiot had decided to try and sell crap door to door, despite the clear sign that they weren't welcome. He had half a mind to send them running.

When he got Sixty's message that morning to say he was poorly, he had juggled his work around a little, making sure Hank didn't mind if he worked from Sixty's home after the morning meeting until the end of lunch. The last he knew, Nines was still trying to wheedle his way into having the afternoon either off or similar to Connor's morning.

Opening the door, Connor's frown deepened into a scowl when he came face to face with none other than Allen.

Allen’s mild anxiety over Sixty maybe not appreciating him coming back with lunch turned to outright annoyance at coming face to face with Connor instead.

“Oh great, my least favorite brother.” He grumbled, returning the scowl with equal venom. He had no intention of letting Connor drive him away, not even after he had proved he was capable of physical violence.

Of all the people to expect on Sixty's doorstep, Allen wasn't anywhere near the (admittedly) short list Connor could draw up. He looked him over with disdain.

"If you fell off your bike again, he's not paying for it this time," he sneered. "Now go away, you're not wanted here."

Allen set his jaw and didn’t budge, despite the outright hostility. He wasn’t about to let Connor intimidate him, even if he was a good bit taller. “Yeah well it’s a good thing I’m not here for you” he spat in return, “It’s not your house, move your ass so I can come in and set down lunch.”

Before things could escalate and Connor could kick off in a truly ugly way, a hand gripped his shoulder. Upon hearing the hissed commotion, Sixty had shuffled to the door, bundled up in a throw, nose red from blowing it too much.

"Learn to play nice," he croaked at Connor and offered Allen a smile. "Don't mind him, I'll make sure he doesn't bite. Come on in."

Allen managed a thin smile for Sixty, then shouldered his way past Connor. He decided his best course of action was just to pretend that the other twin didn’t exist. He set the lunch down on the table and started unpacking it, saying “I didn’t want you to starve here on your own, so I brought lunch. Figured you could use some decent company too.” Well, maybe he couldn’t resist getting in a jab or two at Connor’s expense.

Looking over the food, Connor frowned.

"Six, I'd recommend you get your home testing kit, I'm fairly certain this was the chain that was almost shut down last week because of health and safety violations. I don't want you getting food poisoning on top of your cold."

Caught in the middle of the barb exchange, Sixty could only wonder if this is what he and Allen were usually like. It made him wonder how on earth Allen had decided that he was worth the trouble last night when all they'd exchanged were insults and bodily fluids.

“Well it’s a good thing that I didn’t bring any for paranoids.” Allen snapped in return, “You can go test your own lunch for hazardous levels of whatever makes you an insufferable bastard.” He sat down and gestured for Sixty to join him across the table. 

Strangely, the experience of exchanging these barbs with Connor was totally different than with Sixty. There was an undercurrent of genuine anger and dislike throughout the conversation, whereas with Sixty it was...fun. A little playful. Or maybe that was just because he liked Sixty and couldn’t stand Connor.

The not so subtle digs didn't feel right somehow. Sixty looked between his brother and his...well, whatever Allen was with sad eyes.

"This is my house, my rules," he forced the words past his painful throat, even whispering hurt. "So please play nice."

Sitting down, he pulled Connor down on one side and Allen down the other and jammed a foot against each of their ankles.

"If you want to play footsie with the enemy, don't do it with me here," Connor grumbled. He looked at the plate of food Sixty had slapped in front of him. It was obviously his own portion of food shared between the brothers while Allen had his own plate of food.

Allen sighed, long and deep, but he had to admit that he didn’t want to further upset Sixty when he was already sick. “Whatever you want.” He said, settling in against Sixty. It felt...nice to have that contact again, even though the vibe was somewhat ruined by Connor’s presence.

Looking over at Sixty’s portion, Allen decided to be a bigger man and ignore Connor’s immature jab. Instead he reached over and put a little bit of his food on Sixty’s plate, saying “Eat up. You’ve gotta up your strength to beat that cold.”

Shaking his head, Sixty swapped his and Connor's plates.

"Don't think I could swallow that much," he admitted shyly. But thank you." He kicked Connor under the table not so subtly.

"Yes," Connor gritted out, "thank you so much for trying to get one up on my brother. It's not like he just fixed your piece of shit bike or anything." Another kick under the table and Connor frowned at Sixty. They stared at each other silently, having a battle of wills and Connor looked away first.

Allen grit his teeth so hard he could hear the grinding enamel, but he managed not to have an embarrassing outburst. He was so angry that he didn’t even catch what Connor was hinting at about the bike, mind hazed with anger. He had to keep reminding himself that none of this was his fault, and that Connor was being the asshole here. It was weird, after all these ages of being at each other’s throats, that he was now trying to not rise to the bait. 

“Yeah yeah, I’ve been trying so hard to get one over on him, I’ve been keeping him fed handmade meals for the last two days.” Allen grumbled, taking a bite of the Indian food and allowing himself a small pleased hum. It still tasted good, even when shared with an asshole.

Sixty did his best to eat the lunch Allen had brought - he was awfully touched by the gesture. A few forkfuls later though, he was flagging, eyes burning and head heavy. Despite being raised with better manners, he rested an elbow on the table and popped his forehead against his hand.

Poking at his food, his eyes slipped shut for a moment, hand stilling. Next to him, Connor gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You alright?" The words were quiet and Sixty blinked open his eyes blearily before nodding. He appreciated the softness of it and smiled a little.

"Tired," he whispered. "Too much. Sorry."

Connor was pushing away from the table already and glaring at Allen.

"Now look what you've done." He reached for Sixty, prepared to get him to the sofa and help him lie down.

Allen paused mid forkful, a wave of guilt washing over him as he saw Sixty start to droop like that. If Connor hadn’t been here, he would have set them up on the sofa, less stress, etc... But any apologies he had bubbling up were squashed by Connor’s terrible attitude.

“I’ll let you get some rest.” Allen said gently, leaning close to Sixty so that it was clear who he was talking to, “I’ve gotta head back to work anyways. Sleep well, okay?”

A sleepy smile graced Sixty's lips and he looped arms around Allen's neck. He nuzzled too warm a forehead into the crook of his neck.

Flabbergasted, Connor let out a disbelieving huff. A soft knock on the door stopped him from passing comment and he hurried to the front door. There was a hush-voiced conversation as the door closed again, Connor obviously talking to whoever had just arrived.

Allen couldn’t help but smile at the cute nuzzle. He gladly took over guiding Sixty to the sofa to lie down. He felt incredibly warm, so Allen was even more convinced he needed to rest as soon as possible. 

“Alright, down you go...” Allen guides gently, setting Sixty down as slowly and carefully as possible. He was very very aware that Nines was probably about to arrive, and that could only mean more bad news for him.

A snicker managed to shake Sixty's frame and he slipped off the sofa and onto his knees.

"Down I went." He looked extremely proud of his little joke.

Allen rolled his eyes with a groan at Sixty’s terrible sense of timing. “Come on, your brothers are gonna straight up murder me if they catch you like this.” He insisted, gently trying to pull Sixty back up onto the sofa.

Allowing himself to be hauled onto the sofa, Sixty contemplated clinging to Allen to pull him down. Whatever pills Connor had plied him with earlier were doing wonders.

"Looks like Gavin was right," Nines' voice cut through. "You're more bear than you let on. Territorial, protective and, it seems, deemed to be cuddly."

Behind him, Connor was scowling over his shoulder before pushing past and pressing a kiss to Sixty's forehead and murmuring something to him softly. He didn't bother acknowledging Allen but he did pat Nines on the shoulder before leaving.

Allen felt as if he had just had one of those ‘near miss with death’ experiences as Connor pushed past him but didn’t stop to throttle him or knee him in the groin. Finally disentangling himself from Sixty’s grip and settling him comfortably in his blankets, Allen straightened up to face Nines.

“Gavin talks quite a lot about things he probably shouldn’t” he huffed, clearly embarrassed at being called out on his behavior. A part of Allen’s brain was yelling at him for being indecisive - did he want the brothers to be nice or not? He sighed and forced himself to relax a bit, admitting “I’m not here to cause trouble. I was just worried about the poor guy.”

"There is a sure fire way to shut Gavin up but if you did that to him, I would actually gut you." Nines walked closer and peered down at Sixty who seemed pretty intent on frowning.

"Please don't hurt each other." Even his whisper was strained.

"And you should have taken a day off as soon as your throat started hurting. You know how you get," Nines lectured but it was an old, tired argument. He looked back at Allen. "Will you be joining us for the afternoon? I'm working from here to keep the numpty company. I think Connor dosed him up on cold meds which is always a delight."

Allen snorted, replying “No worries on that front, Gavin’s all yours. I have enough trouble keeping the man alive on the road and in the office, I don’t need to deal with him in a bedroom capacity.” Surprisingly, the person he had thought would be the most intimidating was actually fairly friendly. Maybe he shouldn’t have thought poorly of anyone who had the balls to hook up with Gavin on a regular basis - he was a known biter.

“I wish I could stay, but I’ve got an assignment this afternoon.” Allen admitted with a sigh, looking down at Sixty with genuine remorse. After a moment’s thought, he asked “You won’t mind if I stop by tonight to check on him though, will you?” He wouldn’t have dared ask Connor, but Nines seemed amenable.

Gently, Nines helped Sixty briefly sit up so he could settle under him and pull his head in his lap. Fingers carding through Sixty's hair, Nines gave Allen a critical once over.

"I don't know what he sees in you. Then again, he doesn't know what I see in Gavin. It seems all three of us can only form a relationship which starts off with a good portion of antagonism."

He gave Allen a final, assessing stare before he softened a little.

"Take the keys in the door and let yourself in when you're here. I'll stay with him for the afternoon and, depending on how he is, the night. Unless you want that particular job?"

Allen didn’t particularly appreciate the assessing stare, but he supposed he had done just the same thing to Nines many a time before. He and Hank has teased Gavin about his ‘terminator looking boy toy’ enough times that he supposed he deserved this. Allen didn’t bother protesting at the use of the word ‘relationship’, figuring it was useless arguing when he was making plans to stop by and take care of the other man when he was sick, multiple days in a row. 

“I’ll take you up on that offer.” Allen finally decided, crossing his arms as he added “I’ll admit I’ve had my own doubts about Hank and Gavin’s tastes myself...but they’re adults. We can all make our own choices, don’t you think?” He was attempting to extend the metaphorical olive branch, but he wasn’t sure if it was coming across.

That earned a nod from Nines and he looked down at Sixty who had passed out in his lap, snoring a little thanks to his cold.

"Some of us are much more hesitant in making a choice, no matter how big we talk," he simply said. "Just make sure the choice isn't one to be regretted."

He picked up his tablet, summarily dismissing Allen.

"By the way, when Sixty gets sick like this, he would happily marry anyone who makes hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream for him."

Allen accepted the cryptic advice from Nines with a nod. It felt like a truce, and that was all he had been hoping for. “I’ll take that into consideration, kind of you to offer me your brother’s hand in marriage.” He joked, stepping back from the sofa. He needed to get going, or he was going to be late. One more little wave in Nines’ direction, and Allen was off back to work.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting steamy again, but that may just be the shower... Read on for a nice big dose of Sixty and Allen's signature blend of soft comfort and awkward sexiness!

By the time Sixty woke up, he was a little more cognizant. He blinked up at Nines and cleared his throat.

"You're still here," he croaked. "Usually you go at 6."

"I'm allowed to care for my older brother as much as I want," Nines retorted primly. Then be grinned. "But I have arranged for a bit more company for you overnight."

Just as he spoke, there was the sound of a key in the door.

Allen wasn’t dumb enough to turn down Nines’ suggestion, so on the way home from work he had grabbed the makings for hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream. It felt strangely normal to be opening Sixty’s apartment with the key, and Allen tried not to think too hard on that. He set the bag down in the kitchen and headed to the sofa next.

“Hey, how you feeling?” Allen asked with a lazy grin. The scene in front of him, with Nines gently cradling Sixty’s head, was unbearably sweet.

Hand on heart Sixty had thought it was going to be Connor coming through the door. Maybe Gavin. He pushed to sit up and tried to make his hair a little bit less of a mess.

"I think I gargled with drawing pins this morning," Sixty replied, trying his hardest not to let his surprise show. If Nines' snicker was anything to go by, he had failed. "And I'm glad I can't breathe, I can't imagine I smell great."

"You've not eaten much all day so there's no way you're going for a shower on your own." Nines smirked as he watched Allen. "But I see your night nurse is here and I have places to be. See you later."

He slipped off the sofa and stretched with a groan, trying to get feeling back in his limbs.

Allen was also chuckling at Sixty’s reaction. It was a good feeling, he discovered, to be a welcome surprise. “I’ll just have to hold my nose when I approach.” He joked, walking over and settling into the sofa in the spot Nines vacated. “Thanks for the key, I left it on the table.” Allen added, giving Nines another little nod as he headed out.

Turning his attention more fully to Sixty, Allen gave him another smile. “I suppose I’m your nurse now, reporting for duty. Anything I can help you with?” He planned on offering the hot chocolate soon, but wanted to make sure Sixty didn’t have any more pressing needs first.

Determined to be independent, Sixty shook his head.

"I want a shower," he stubbornly insisted and moved to get up. A little shaky and weak, he stumbled but hauled himself upright. He had every intention of turning to grin at Allen when a bout of lightheadedness hit him, a whine took over all of his hearing and splotches of blackness ate away at his vision. He teetered, distantly cursed low blood sugar levels but couldn't do much more than try and blindly reach for something to hold onto rather than crash to the ground.

Allen cursed out loud, springing out of his seat and grabbing Sixty at the last moment before he crashed down onto the ground. “You’re doing nothing of the sort on your own.” He insisted, “Now sit your ass back down on this sofa, I’m going to bring you a snack so you don’t pass out.”

Allen maneuvered Sixty back down into a sitting position, making sure that he wasn’t in any danger of passing out again before he straightened up himself. “Now are you going to behave and wait here patiently? Or am I going to have to restrain you?” The last bit was more of a joke, but he wasn’t above tying down a squirmy patient.

The mumbled "I'll behave" was the best Sixty could offer. He was embarrassed and stressed at being seen so poorly and seemingly incompetent. It didn't help that he felt disgusting. When it was Nines or Connor, he didn't mind as much, being a bit of a shabby mess. But with Allen, it somehow felt different. Not uncomfortable in the sense that he'd expected - there was no burning fury of being lesser. No, instead it was a quiet discomfort of not looking his best. Mortified, Sixty realised he was worrying that Allen wouldn't want him if he saw him in a less than perfect state.

Satisfied, Allen left for the kitchen and set about making the hot chocolate. He loaded up Sixty’s mug with extra marshmallows and whipped cream and emerged with an encouraging grin and both mugs in hand.

“Here, does this look like something you can stomach?” He asked. Sixty looked so glum, and he found himself a little desperate to cheer the poor guy up.

Mind reader, that's what Allen had to be and Sixty reached for the mug with two hands. As soon as he was cradling it against his chest, he took a sip of it and sighed as the sweetness hit his tongue. The warmth soothed his throat.

"You are a genius," he proclaimed and dove back into the mug, only to resurface with cream on his upper lip and the tip of his nose.

As he slowly felt more human, something else occurred to him.

"You came back. Twice." There was awe in his voice as he mulled the realisation over. Nobody outside of his brothers had done that for him before and it made his stomach twist in a curious way.

Allen sipped at his own hot cocoa at a far more reserved pace, watching Sixty cover himself in cream with a chuckle. He couldn’t resist, reaching over and wiping the cream from Sixty’s nose with his thumb, then popping it into his mouth. “You really are a mess.” He teased with a grin. 

Allen shrugged when Sixty confronted him with the fact that he had been mulling over himself for the last day or so. “Yep. Fought one of your brothers for the honor too.” He agreed simply, not seeing a reason to deny the fact. Sixty didn’t seem  _ mad _ about the fact, so it couldn’t be that bad.

Never before had Sixty felt so vulnerable around someone before. He'd expected to hate it, had always used his barbed tongue to drive people away. But, for whatever reason, Allen had stuck around. The blush on his cheeks had nothing to do with the fever he'd had earlier.

"What an honour, sit with a sick guy who you can't decide if you're hate fucking or pity fucking," he muttered.

“Well I’m certainly not fucking a guy with such low self esteem” Allen huffed, eyeing Sixty across his hot chocolate. He didn’t like that weird self deprecating edge that crept into his tone sometimes. It made everything feel...weird. 

“Besides, didn’t I tell you I’m here because I want to be?” Allen added, taking a sip of his cocoa and watching that blush with interest, “I don’t even expect a blowjob or anything.”

It took a bit of effort to reel the melancholy edge back and Sixty tried to leer at Allen.

"Expectation never did get anyone anything they wanted." He placed his empty mug on the coffee table, feeling a little more stable now that he had some sugar pumping through his systems. "But you're welcome to join me for a shower if you'd like."

He made a second attempt at getting up and stretched, arms reaching over his head, knowing full well that it would flash his stomach.

Allen sighed and rolled his eyes at Sixty’s antics. Truly, a monster. He didn’t deny that that flash of stomach was incredibly tempting, but he was being very firm tonight. It felt weird to make this sexual, when Sixty was sick and feeling like this was a burden.

“I’m certainly not going to let you shower alone like this.” Allen insisted, standing from the sofa as well and putting an arm around Sixty’s waist to guide him. “The last thing we want is for you to slip and crack your head open.”

"A lesser being would make a quip about it being just another hole to fuck." Sixty wrapped an arm around Allen's shoulder. "But I can categorically tell you that it just isn't feasible and downright dangerous. The bone shards could-" he cut himself off, realising that this was not sexy or necessary. A bright idea occurred to him instead.

"You shall have to join me so I don't fall. And so I can keep an eye on your bruises. Doctor's orders!"

He peered down at Allen, a little over eager and proud of his genius. Any excuse to get the man to at least laugh, if not come his brains out so they could cuddle again.

Sixty babbling on about the medical definition of skullfucking was enough to get Allen to laugh. He got in a few good laughs before his bruise caught and he had to bring it down to a chuckle for his own health and safety. 

“I suppose I’ll have to join you to make sure you don’t get into too much trouble” he admitted, looking up at Sixty with a wry grin. It was probably going to be hard not to let this go sexual.

In the bathroom, Sixty realised that a shower meant stripping and he eyed Allen with mild trepidation. As much as they'd fooled around, there was something infinitely more intimate about the shower rather than a frustration fuelled orgasm at work. He tried to remind himself that they had seen each other in various states of undress so it wasn't like anything was going to be a surprise.

Steeling himself, Sixty pulled his shirt over his head and pushed his sweatpants down. There was only a little bit of him that was cringing at being caught going commando. Holding his arms out in an over the top display, inviting a good look, he grinned.

"See something you like?" The bravado was somewhat forced but he needed to keep up appearances. Especially as Allen still hadn't even started getting undressed.

There was definitely something odd to the atmosphere, but Allen was stubbornly refusing to acknowledge it. He was used to stripping in front of his colleagues, the SWAT team always showered down together after a mission. So that wasn’t the problem. It was really the fact that this was Sixty, and it was just the two of them, uninterrupted.

Taking his cue, Allen also began to strip as well, pulling his shirt over his head before stopping to admire Sixty. He had to admit, he was fucking gorgeous. Without realizing it, the words “Fucking gorgeous” slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and a blush rose up his neck and cheeks.

If it was possible to be shy but preen at the same time, Sixty was definitely doing it. He shot Allen a cheeky grin before stepping into the shower.

"You're not so bad yourself." He reached to grab Allen by the upper arm, fingers weakly wrapped around one of his tattoos and his thumb brushed over it repeatedly as he admired it.

"Not bad at all." Sixty had aimed for it to come out as a sultry purr as his other hand traces the blush from Allen's cheek down his neck. However, he forgot his voice wasn't what it usually was and it came out as an embarrassing croak.

Allen let himself be fondled quite happily. He liked the attention, he wasn’t going to pretend not to. A bonus of this whole exercise, which he hadn’t realized until now, was that he would get to see Sixty’s tattoos. Pulling his own pants and briefs off, Allen stepped into the shower along with him.

“Glad I’m up to muster” he replied, a half grin managing to surface through all the flush. Such a soft touch on his cheek was making him even more flustered.

Tucking in close against Allen's neck meant Sixty didn't have to strain his voice if he wanted to speak. However, for the time being, he just enjoyed the closeness, of being allowed to trace Allen's tattoos with his fingers while the steam helped clear his head a bit.

"You really are something else, you know that right?" He murmured and dragged his lips against the skin of Allen's neck.

Allen gladly tucked Sixty close to his body, letting the warm water steam over them both. His fingers gently explored the smooth plane of Sixty’s back, imagining he could feel the swirls of ink underneath. The tenderness of the moment, instead of making him feel weird, was instead setting off a tide of relaxation through his whole body. 

“Hm? How so?” Allen asked, letting out a slow, happy sigh.

A low hum tried to work it's way out of Sixty's throat. The air came out but no noise accompanied it.

"I always assumed your were a pompous, muscle bound jerk. Then you were nothing but kind. Well, an ass but a good one. And I can't get you out of my mind."

His hands travelled over Allen's back, caressing the skin and following the rivulets of water down, hesitating at his waist, pausing and waiting for permission or denial to take things further.

Allen knew he should be insulted, but he couldn’t really be. “I mean, that’s what most people assume.” He admitted with a slow chuckle, “They see the bike and the SWAT uniform, and draw whatever conclusions, it doesn’t bother me.” 

Allen paused, and admitted “I suppose I always thought you were a bit of a brat, nose in the air with your silly bikes and brothers... But you’re actually surprisingly nice to spend time with. I keep coming back.  _ Wanting _ to come back.” 

He did nothing to stop Sixty from taking his hands further, but he didn’t initiate anything himself. Allen was leaving this one up to him.

The admission that Allen had wanted to come back, had been enjoying spending time with him made Sixty's blood sing. Relieved that it wasn't just a one way infatuation he needed to weed out and forget about made him braver.

Sixty's lips ghosted just shy of Allen's, hands coasting along the small of his back.

"May I?" he whispered.

Allen could almost feel the energy and relief bubbling off of Sixty, and it was infectious. It took a considerable amount of willpower not to just lean in and seal their lips together.

“Only if you want to. I’m here for you, not to get off.” Allen murmured, in a particularly rare bout of honesty.

The light touch turned to a firm grip on Allen's ass as Sixty pulled him in. Their lips pressed together harshly, Sixty momentarily forgetting he couldn't breathe through his nose too well. Sooner than he would have liked, he was pulling away.

"I want to, so much," he panted. "Show me?"

He didn't feel as awkward, asking Allen to guide him through things, trusted him not to laugh or mock beyond their usual jokes.

As soon as Sixty pulled him in, Allen’s grip turned firm as well, one hand clutching at his back and the other at his shoulder. He leaned into the kiss, ignoring any common sense that told him he absolutely shouldn’t be swapping spit with someone who had a cold.

When Sixty pleaded so sweetly, Allen’s dick began to spring to attention already, ruining any effort he may have made to appear noble in his attentions. “Not here, not standing in the shower” He replied, the sex knowledge part of his brain actually still working. “I’ll show you the right way, once we’re clean.”

Dutifully, Sixty nodded but a question circled in his head.

"How clean do you want us?"

Logically, he knew that not everything was like in porn, he'd played around enough by himself to know that too. But he didn't know how meticulous Allen wanted them to be.

Allen hummed thoughtfully at the question, looking up at Sixty and asking in return “Well how do you want to do this? You want to be on top?” Given his general domineering attitude and hatred of vulnerability, Allen had his suspicions that Sixty wouldn’t like bottoming right away, but he didn’t want to assume too much.

Answering a question with a question was rude but two could play at that game. Holding Allen close made it easier to speak, not having to see his face.

"We've seen how well my blowjob skills turned out," he admitted quietly. "You sure you'd trust me to plough you through the mattress without being shown how it should be done?"

He'd have expected to worry about giving Allen that kind of control but he already knew he liked being fucked by toys so a real cock would hopefully not be all that different.

One of the things he liked best about Sixty, Allen was finding, was the way he always overturned his expectations. He couldn’t help but want to hold him closer when he was being so quiet and sweet. 

“You did fine once I explained how to do it.” Allen reassured him, pressing a kiss to his collarbone, “But I’m happy to oblige in giving you a nice thorough fucking for your first time.” His hands wandered down to Sixty’s ass, giving an experimental squeeze to emphasize his point.

A surge of defiance rushed through Sixty at the same time as he relaxed into Allen's grasp.

"I will remind you that I know what I like and how I like it when it comes to my own body," he replied haughtily. Still, he couldn't help the quiver of anticipation at what was to come.

He pulled away from Allen and reached for the shampoo, waving it at him questioningly. Just because they were going to have sex didn't mean he could be a filthy slob. And, though he'd never admit, he might need a few extra minutes to gather himself - he was, deep down, a little nervous.

"Want your hair washed?"

“Well you’ll have to tell me then, hm?” Allen said with a soft smile. He appreciated that Sixty knew what he liked, that would make it much easier. Getting him to relax completely though, that was going to be the trick.

The offer of a shampoo was surprising, but not unwanted. Allen wasn’t sure he had ever just...showered with another person for the purpose of getting clean. “That sounds great, actually.” He admitted, turning so that Sixty could get to his scalp easier. “I’ll return the favors afterwards.”

  
  


The novelty of washing someone's hair riveted all of Sixty's attention. He was careful to work the shampoo into a crown of bubbles which had him snickering softly. What he couldn't stop though was the way his hands kept straying to the tattoos on Allen's body.

"Do any of them have any stories behind them?" He worked up the courage to ask in the end. Promptly, he urged Allen to tip his head back so he could rinse the shampoo which meant he couldn't actually reply immediately.

Turns out getting his hair shampooed was  _ incredibly _ nice and Allen was very very into it. He leaned into the touch with a happy little sigh, allowing his eyes to slip closed. The added little touches to his skin were adding to the blissful atmosphere, and Allen wasn’t sure if he’d ever been so relaxed.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, a few.” He admitted, needing the extra moment of getting rinsed to get back to processing English. “Some are just cause I like the aesthetic.” He paused, then added “Maybe we can swap stories. I’m sure yours have a fun story behind them.”

Although Allen's hair was as clean as it could get, Sixty didn't really feel like leaving his warmth yet. So he grabbed some shower gel and began to rub across Allen's chest and back, fingers digging into the muscle. The more he explored and groped, the more he appreciated the amount of time and effort Allen must put into working out. During his trainee years, Allen would have been referred to as a 'fine specimen' amidst a bit of tittering.

"They do. But not all are happy," he warned. In his head, he added that most nobody even knew about.

“A full massage too, how did I get so lucky?” Allen asked, half his words trailing off into satisfied half moans. Sixty’s fingers were strong and dexterous, and he was hitting in all the right places. Not quite a trained masseuse, but close enough.

“You tell me whatever you want to then.” Allen reassured, unable to stop himself from arching up into Sixty’s touches as he moved about. “If you don’t wanna turn the mood for the evening, that’s up to you.”

His hum was still more of a silent exhale of air but Sixty didn't mind as much. He leaned down and rested his chin on Allen's shoulder, lips brushing the shell of his ear.

"I suppose I could tell you about the one I've been thinking about getting," his hand drifted to Allen's chest, fingers pressing into the muscle on the left, "right about here. There's a bit of room and I've always thought it should be filled but not had any ideas for it until now. I find there's a certain irony of having Death riding a motorbike over one's heart, no?"

Allen leaned back, plastering his body comfortably up against Sixty’s. He knew he should be more sensitive about being short, but...there was something really indulgent about being enveloped like this. He swallowed hard at the suggestion Sixty was making, thinking about Nines’ warning from earlier. A decision he might regret...

“I thought you found the Death getup tacky.” Allen teased gently, but there was no venom in his voice.

Eyes slipping shut, Sixty hummed lightly.

"Very tacky," he agreed easily. "But I can't say it hasn't grown on me."

His hands slipped lower, teasing over Allen's stomach, smiling as he felt the man react under his touch. While he may not quite know what he was doing, he did have the experience of his own body to go off.

Allen relaxed, grinning as he felt Sixty start to slip his hand lower. “Eager aren’t we?” He chuckled, then added “If you turn around I’ll do your hair as well.” It was so odd to feel like they had all the time in the world to fool around, but he loved the ability to just chill out and enjoy himself.

As much as Sixty was having fun, he couldn't hold back a snide little smirk.

"Sure you can reach? Or shall I kneel down?" He winked at Allen before it morphed into a frown. "Water's running cold. We may want to hurry up." He squirmed as cooling water hit his back.

“There’ll be plenty of time for you to be on your knees.” Allen joked in return, “For now just hurry up and hand me the shampoo, I’ll reach up with my big beefy arms.” It wasn’t  _ that _ much of a stretch to reach Sixty’s head, he tried to rationalize. He managed just fine, scrubbing him down in what he hoped would be an efficient but still pleasant time.

Even though they hurried, by the end of the shower, Sixty's teeth were chattering from the icy water. He dipped under it to rinse the suds quickly, and turned it off as soon as he could. Reaching out, he grabbed two towels and passed one to Allen.

If all manner of media was to be believed, he should have wrapped the towel around his waist but it was too cold. Instead, he bundled it around his shoulders and tried not to make it obvious that he was shivering as cold water dripped from his hair.

"So, bedroom?" he managed to ask with minimal shaking.

Allen was honestly kind of concerned at how much Sixty was shivering by the end of the shower - he didn’t want him to get even more sick. He dried off fast as was the norm from years of showers at the station, then reached over and started drying Sixty’s hair, fluffing it up as best he could. 

“First we gotta get you dry and warm, no sense trying to get it up when you’re freezing to death.” Allen said matter-of-factory. Once they were both relatively dry he stepped in close and bundled Sixty up in his arms, grinning up at him at the silliness of the situation.

A squeal left Sixty's throat scraped raw as he clutched at Allen.

"Careful!" He clung on harder. "Do I need to recite statistics about falls in the bathroom?"

There was no denying though that he was very much enjoying how Allen could manhandlehim. Despite his words, he clung to Allen hiding his smile into his hair.

"I've got you, I've got you." Allen soothed in reply, patting Sixty on the back as he clung tighter. He had a good enough stance right now that he wasn't particularly worried about slipping. But then again, he was pretty cocky in his physical abilities. "Now we can head to the bedroom." He announced, still grinning.

It was nice, having Allen be so self assured and steady. Sixty let himself relax into the hold and sighed in relief. For once, he didn't have to be in utter control.

"Need directions to the bedroom?" he teased. "Or was it important enough to commit to memory so quickly?"

He giggled lightly and squirmed a little, trying to get a little more comfortable, slipping down so he could mouth at Allen's neck.

Allen was similarly very pleased at how much control Sixty was letting him have. He wasn't struggling too much, and he wasn't even making too many snide remarks. It made Allen feel more comfortable, as if he were actually really wanted here.

"I have an excellent memory for directions, never fear." He replied with a chuckle, making his way carefully out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, nudging the door open with his foot. "You're going to get spoiled, thinking I'll always carry you to the bedroom." Allen joked, remembering last time.

Sometimes, Allen made it too easy.

"I really hope that means you remember the directions to something else too." He pulled away a little to smile widely at Allen. "Play your cards right, I'll even put some of my medical knowledge to good use. The kind that they don't want to teach in medical school."

He couldn't help but wonder what Allen would do in the bedroom. Throw him on the bed and ravish him or gently lay him down and spoil him. Both had their own appeal.

Allen rolled his eyes, still chuckling as he replied, "I'm pretty sure I can remember the way back to your prostate, but only if you ask nicely." Maybe some other day, he would have tossed Sixty onto the bed for his teasing and pounced on him afterwards, but he was sick right now. So instead, Allen gently laid him down on the bed and leaned in for a proper kiss finally.

When he pulled away, he asked "Where do you keep your lube? And condoms, I suppose." That last part was added rather hastily as Allen remembered Sixty's insistence on using one for his blowjob last time.

Pointing to the bedside drawer, Sixty stretched languidly, hoping to catch Allen's eyes. Only when the drawer was pulled open did he remember that he had left a couple of his favourite toys in there too. Well, it wasn't like Allen was a blushing, naive virgin who didn't know what sextoys were.

His eyes traced Allen's body as he reached and his mouth ran dry.

"You really are beautiful, you know that? Sculpted like a Greek statue."

Allen had to really focus to tear his eyes away from the show in front of him, but he was eager to start exploring Sixty's body, so he needed to get prepared. Opening the drawer brought him face to face with what seemed to Allen a veritable cornucopia of sex paraphenalia. There was a gorgeous glass plug, and what looked like steel beads in varying sizes, alongside a large bottle of lube. 

Holding up the plug, Allen smirked over at Sixty and said "I didn't know they made art pieces into plugs. You'll have to show me this in action one of these days." But the strange look on Sixty's face and the honesty in his words caught Allen off guard, and he found himself flushing. "I don't think I've ever been compared to a sculpture before."

"Only those of refined taste can truly recognise and appreciate art when it comes to life before their eyes," Sixty whispered. He trailed a finger over Allen's thigh, appreciating the firmness of the muscle he found.

"Maybe you should show me whether all this muscle is just aesthetics or if you can put it to good use. Because looks are very well, but art in motion? That is perfection."

Still flushed, Allen managed to recover somewhat by noticing that Sixty was still talking himself up even when he was giving a compliment.

"Patience is a virtue. You'll see the art soon enough," he replied, nonetheless setting the plug down and settling himself happily between Sixty's thighs. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hand on heart, promise there won't be any more interruptions. Sixty is going to finally get the dick he so rightfully deserves!

Allen ran both hands up Sixty’s thighs and let them rest right at the junction of hip and leg, taking in the way they framed Sixty's cock nicely this way.

A flutter of nerves made Sixty abortedly reach to cover up before forcing himself to relax and smile up at Allen.

"As much as I love being devoured by such a hungry look, I don't think I've been stared into an orgasm before."

He rolled his hips up a little in invitation, hoping the age old saying of "fake it til you make it" proved to be true here. Despite his nerves and his slight worry, he wanted this and he wanted it with Allen.

"Maybe you just haven't been with the right starers before" Allen teased, but he could tell Sixty's nerves were probably catching up with him. He didn't want to drag things out and make him  _ more _ nervous, so instead he popped the cap off the lube and squirted out a generous portion. 

Allen's fingers easily found their way between Sixty's legs, ignoring his insistence from last time that he should start with multiple fingers. That was just too rushed, and Allen wanted to take his time where he could.

It was almost too much care and tenderness for Sixty to handle. He shifted around a little, trying to urge Allen on.

"You've literally just seen the toys I regularly play with," he grumbled. "You can definitely start with two fingers. Hell, I swear I take bigger shits than a single finger."

Perhaps he shouldn't have added the last bit, it wasn't exactly the sexiest conversation topic. He tensed up, expecting an unfavourable retort, for Allen to maybe even decide he wasn't worth the effort in the end. He wouldn't even blame him really, a mediocre fuck with someone inexperienced and not particularly pleasant either wasn’t worth the effort. Sixty was surprised to realise he'd been prepared for a rejection all along.

Allen almost chuckled to himself as Sixty started complaining. There was the snappy brat he had gotten used to. Now though, he could tell that the other man was probably just nervous and covering with extra bravado in an attempt to look more experienced. And somehow, Allen found he didn’t mind that attitude nearly as much now. 

Instead of bothering to retort, he simply slid a second finger in and curled them both up, looking to silence Sixty with some pressure right up against his prostate.

The thought that crossed Sixty's mind briefly was "oh thank fuck" when a second finger was worked into him. However, it was a short lived thought because his mind went blank when Allen pressed against his prostate - he'd obviously not been lying about having an excellent memory for direction.

He threw an arm over his eyes and his lips parted a little in a soft pant. Sixty tried to not tilt his hips too eagerly for more but it felt better than just good. His free hand reached down to grab Allen's thigh, giving it a quick squeeze before rubbing his thumb over it.

Allen was quite proud of the fact that he had a good memory for this sort of thing. Once he had been shown something in the bedroom, he could usually replicate it the second time around. He was careful not to abuse his power too much, not wanting Sixty to get too worked up too fast. 

Allen smiled as he felt the hand on his thigh, appreciating the positive feedback of sorts. Once he had Sixty nice and worked open, he sat back slightly and grabbed a condom and more lube, asking “You ready?”

Not trusting himself to speak, Sixty merely nodded and reached for Allen, wanting him close. He wasn't certain how Allen would want him though, on his back or on all fours. He was hoping he could stay and hold Allen close. Doing it doggy style felt a little too impersonal, even if it would probably be more pleasurable.

Allen was honestly surprised at how sweet Sixty was being right now. He had expected a lot more backtalk and chatter, but he seemed to just wanted touch and reassurance. Which was...okay, that was pretty cute. He took his clean hand and gently pushed back a stray strand of hair off Sixty's forehead, smiling down at him.

Trying to ignore how sappy he felt right now, Allen shifted his position and pulled Sixty closer by the hips. Having him on his back made it easier to watch his reactions and make sure he was actually enjoying himself.

A small smile made itself at home on Sixty's lips. Hesitantly, he moved the arm from over his eyes and looped it around Allen's neck while his legs bracketed his hips. The first press of Allen into him had him arching his back. By no means the biggest he had taken, it was so very different to the cool rigidity of a toy.

All of a sudden, he wasn't sure where to look. He didn't know whether it would be creepy to stare at Allen's face or if it was rude to look anywhere else. Closing his eyes felt weird, he didn't want to think about what Allen might think if he ended up screwing his eyes shut in pleasure, lest he assumed it was from anything else. Glancing up at Allen, he seemed to be watching Sixty intently and so, he offered a small, hopeful smile. It was only then that Sixty realised he had no idea if Allen was enjoying it or if he was merely entertaining what he thought was one of Sixty's whims.

A low, pleased hum escaped from Allen as he slowly pressed forward into Sixty. His natural instinct to cling tighter was only increasing Allen's desire to just snap his hips forward and bring them closer, but he held back for both their sakes.

Seeing that soft smile made something in Allen's chest squeeze and twist awkwardly. He ran his thumbs over Sixty's lips, murmuring "Hey there gorgeous." It was hard to concentrate on stringing together coherent thoughts once he was fully seated in Sixty and there was warm pressure all around his cock, but Allen was doing his best here.

Rather than speak, Sixty wrapped his lips around Allen's thumb. It seemed like a safer option to do, made an excuse for him not to need to speak.

Against his best efforts, his eyes slipped shut as Allen's hips met his ass. He shivered, enraptured with the feeling of having someone in bed with him. Even if he wasn't as full as a toy would make him, the warmth of Allen above him, weighing him down into the mattress was more than he could have ever hoped for.

Allen couldn’t help a soft moan as Sixty sucked his thumb into his mouth. Kinky little shit, this was going to be the death of him. He was clearly enjoying himself, which Allen in turn very much enjoyed.

After a beat of silence in which they both caught their breath, Allen slowly pulled back and gave an experimental thrust back in. Clearly, Sixty wasn’t a blushing virgin, but getting fucked was a different experience than playing around with toys on your own. At least, Allen had to assume, given his limited experience with toys.

Sixty's head snapped back and his lips fell open on a silent moan. His legs wrapped around Allen's waist, trying to keep him close. His arms dropped from around his neck and fell limply above his head.

It was good, so much better than he'd expected. Allen was gentle, almost too gentle. He wanted more but Sixty didn't know how to ask for it other than roll his hips, try and make Allen understand how much he wanted.

Sixty’s responses were absolutely encouraging, but Allen was beginning to find the radio silence a little unnerving. The only sounds filling the air around them were their panted breaths, and the rather unpleasant (in Allen’s opinion) smack of skin on skin as he began to establish a rhythm. 

“Cmon baby, you don’t gotta keep quiet, you’re doin so good.” Allen murmured.

The sweet names made Sixty all but melt and he gasped. He wanted to do as asked but the words weren't coming. Not the way Allen wanted.

"I want you to put your muscles to good use. Fuck me like you mean it you handsome stud. Show me how good you can be."

Not  _ exactly _ what Allen had been hoping for, but oh well. He supposed Sixty wasn’t the sappy type except when he was doped up on cold pills, which was...fine. He wasn’t somewhat disappointed, definitely not.

“Hold on tight” Allen grunted out, slinging one of Sixty’s legs up over his shoulder for better leverage. If he wanted to get fucked into the mattress the first time, then Allen would oblige. It wasn’t like this didn’t feel heavenly for him either.

"Oh fuck yes, you feel so good," Sixty moaned as Allen actually started moving. "Fuck, you're perfect, aren't you? Show me how amazing you can be. You could probably make me come on just your dick alone."

The unexpected praise punched a low moan out of Allen, hips stuttering somewhat in their rhythm. “Fuck yeah,” he muttered, but to what, he wasn’t sure. All his energy and focus was on Sixty now - hands gripping his hips hard enough to bruise where they were lifting him up to better angle into Allen’s thrusts.

A little voice in Sixty's mind piped up about Allen reacting well to praise and how it was prime time to exploit such a Pavlovian reflex. He shut it up in favour or letting out a husky "so good for me" which seemed to go down favourably.

"Be good for me, darling, fuck me until I can't walk. Show me what you and your pretty little dick can do. I want you so deep, that's it, roll your hips for me, doll."

Perhaps it was going overboard but Allen had wanted to hear him and seemingly liked praise. So Sixty could indulge him.

Allen knew he should probably take offense to the term ‘pretty little dick’ but he was too wound up at this point to care. Every word of praise had a shiver of arousal racing down his spine, and he wanted nothing more than to prove Sixty right - to fuck him until he couldn’t walk.

_ That’ll show Connor _ , the vindictive part of Allen’s brain sneered. This only spurred him on further, hips snapping aggressively as he leaned down and latched onto Sixty’s neck with his mouth. It was a hickey with more teeth involved, mainly because Allen wasn’t in the mindset for restraint.

The teeth to Sixty's neck were just shy of painful and, in retaliation, he raked his nails down Allen's back before burying one in his hair and holding him close. With the warm weight pressing down on him and feeling each flex of muscle, Sixty regretted not having a mirror on the ceiling. He had a sneaking suspicion it would have made for an incredible sight.

"Right there, please, yes," he murmured, back arching under Allen. He hadn't been lying when he said he could probably come untouched. There was the telltale warmth and slight tremble to his muscles as pleasure built up, a sheen of sweat covered his whole body.

"You feel amazing," he whispered against Allen's neck. "So perfect, I really want to come with you, sweetheart. Please. I want this with you."

With Sixty's hand holding him down, Allen continued to leave mottled marks across that side of Sixty's neck and down into the junction of his shoulder. Payback for last time? Maybe definitely.

Allen could feel his own orgasm building, thighs starting to shake under the strain of pushing so deep into Sixty as the urge to just give up and chase his own pleasure rose. "Come on then, let go for me, I'm waiting" He murmured, trying to angle into Sixty the same way that had made him arch earlier, "Be good for me, just this once."

The soft chant of "yes" fell from Sixty's lips as he grabbed one of Allen's hands and guided it to his chest. He was so close, a soundless keen tipped his head back when Allen's fingers toyed with a nipple. Reaching up, Sixty yanked Allen back down and pushed their lips together into a kiss as his heels dug into the small of his back.

"So good, Allen, so good," he cried, face twisting into a silent cry of pleasure as his back arched off the bed. Sixty clung to Allen, breaths shuddering with each soft pulse of pleasure.

All it took was a few more thrusts with Sixty clinging and crying out like that for Allen to come as well, hips jerking awkwardly before stilling pressed close to Sixty. His fingers splayed out across his chest and over the nipple he had been abusing, palm feeling the thundering heartbeat right underneath the skin. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the sex may have been a success, but can our boys navigate an even harder (har har) challenge: talking to each other honestly about their relationship?

Allen was panting, face buried in the crook of Sixty’s neck as he came down from his high. He could feel himself trembling slightly from the effort of not just collapsing on top of him with his full weight.

A small laugh escaped Sixty as he flopped bonelessly against the mattress, legs splayed and loose.

"You okay there, handsome?" he asked, fondly carding his hand through Allen's sweaty hair. "Feels like we might as well head back to the shower again."

He tugged gently, trying to get Allen to press down against him, wanting to feel the grounding pressure of another body on top of him.

As soon as Sixty tugged at him, Allen relaxed, letting his whole body weight press down on top of him. “Now we’ll have to.” He chuckled in response, feeling the sticky mess between them. It felt nice to be snuggled up though, so he wasn’t too bothered.

Everything felt warm and comfortable, and Allen knew he was at risk for just dozing off. But he wanted more of this attention, preening under the gentle touches.

The lifetime habit of being an incorrigible fidget seemed to actually have a use in Sixty's current situation. His hands never ceased wandering up and down Allen's back, lightly scratching at times, other times a finger twirled the shirt strands of hair at the back of his head.

"You felt incredible," Sixty mused quietly. "I didn't realise it could feel so good."

He could feel Allen slipping out of him and, with a giggle, he pushed down and forced him out of his body.

Allen let out a happy sigh and relaxed further into Sixty’s little touches. His back was going to be sore as hell tomorrow, but for now the slight sensitivity felt amazing. “Glad you enjoyed yourself your first time.” He replied, smiling against Sixty’s skin, “You did so good, I certainly have no complaints.” 

The sudden feeling of slipping out of Sixty brought Allen back to reality for a moment and he admitted with a chuckle “Okay one complaint maybe, that’s gross and now I have to get rid of this condom.” That meant getting up, which he really didn’t want to do.

  
  


"It's not like you could have left the condom in me and wandered off while I dealt with it," Sixty shot back. His fingers had settled on Allen's back and were digging into the muscle he found there, kneading at the tenser spots he found. He could feel Allen getting ready to get up but didn't want to lose his warmth just yet so pressed down on his back harder. If he got up, he might clean up and leave which Sixty wasn't ready for just yet. But he didn't have words or the courage to ask for cuddles or for Allen to stay.

“I suppose. My dick, my responsibility, huh?” Allen admitted, still grinning despite everything starting to feel way too sticky and slippery for his taste. Those fingers massaging into his back were way too nice though, and a small groan escaped as Sixty hit just the right spot. 

“You’re not making it any easier to get up and get clean,” he complained, making a pathetic attempt at pushing away then flopping back down.

A smug, small snicker left Sixty's lips as Allen made a weak attempt at leaving his grasp. He delighted in having such a hold over the man, even if it wasn't something he was looking for. Though he had to agree, the mess between them was getting quite disgusting.

"The water's still going to be cold," he whined a little. "Can't we just, I don't know, lick ourselves clean like cats or something?"

Not that he actually wanted to, the idea of is made his stomach revolt now that he really thought about it.

"Scratch that," he grumbled and patted Allen on the back, "I might just throw up if we did. Cold shower it is."

Allen was having more fun than he usually did post sex. Usually his flings involved getting off and then getting out the door, so snuggling and joking was turning out to be a pretty nice change of pace. 

“Stop trying to think of sexy ideas, you’re too fucked out for that.” Allen chided, pulling a face as he finally sat up. As much as he enjoyed having a dick in his mouth, licking someone’s whole stomach clean was a whole other story. “You stay here, I’m not letting you get back in that cold shower and catch pneumonia.”

Allen figured it couldn’t be that hard to find some washcloths he could wet in the sink and bring back to wipe Sixty down with. The added bonus of looming over him and getting to see the pretty picture he made, well. That was nice too.

The grumbled lecture on how pneumonia is an infection that could not be brought on by a cold shower was lost to Allen's back as he left the room. Sixty muttered darkly to himself about uneducated, muscle bound, empty headed buffoons but there was a hint of fondness to it. By the time Allen returned with a damp hand towel in his grip, Sixty had resigned himself to a sticky fate.

Lying down while Allen wiped the mess from his stomach felt more intimate than the sex they'd just had. Staring up with wide eyes, Sixty didn't even bother resisting the idea of reaching up towards Allen and pulling him down into a kiss, licking gently against his lips.

Allen could hear Sixty complaining but he ignored him in favor of heading to the bathroom. He had just been praised enough for his muscles that he could tell the insults were nothing but empty air. Allen cleaned himself up in the bathroom as quickly as possible, not wanting to leave Sixty too long. 

Cleaning Sixty was...weirdly intimate and pleasant, and Allen found himself smiling down at him as he worked, unable to pretend he was anything other than pleased. He melted into the kiss with a sigh, mouth opening easily for Sixty to explore.

Kissing Allen was different to any other kiss Sixty had shared with anyone before. It felt easier, less pressured and he could get lost in the sensations, the playful flicks of Allen's tongue against his contrasting with the little nips of teeth. A question solidified in his mind, forcing Sixty to pull away and look awkwardly up at Allen, oddly shy.

"What does this make us?" he asked quietly.

Whatever Allen had expected when he pulled away from that perfect kiss, it wasn’t that question. The one he had been avoiding for days as this drama unfolded. He stalled for time slightly, one hand coming up to idly cup Sixty’s cheek and run a thumb across his cheekbone.

“I...am not sure. I didn’t think we’d get this far.” He admitted, feeling more vulnerable than he had in years, “What do you want us to be?”

It was far from the enthusiastic response that, deep down, Sixty had been hoping for. He had been a fool to think that just because Allen had smiled at him and been gentle meant that there might be the potential for more. Shuttering in all emotions, Sixty plastered a smile to his face and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"Well, this has been a fun interlude but I must dash," he began, only to realise they were in his house. Forcing the smile wider to hide any hint of tears that threatened to wet his eyes, he looked Allen over with a leer. "Because I'm ever the gentleman, you may have the bed, didn't even get a wet spot for you to avoid."

He made a move to get up and make a tactical retreat to the couch. Maybe, if Allen fell asleep, he'd even break the icecream out from the freezer.

Confusion followed by dread swept over Allen at Sixty’s sudden reaction, settling like a pit in his stomach. Oh fuck, he had messed up somehow, hadn’t he? The caution that he had hoped would avoid Sixty making fun of his over-eagerness for something more had apparently backfired massively.

As Sixty went to leave, Allen grabbed his arm, pulling him back, away from the edge of the bed. “Hey, no, wait a minute.” He said, words tumbling awkwardly as he tried to figure out what to say to make up for the obvious hurt written across Sixty’s face. “I didn’t mean whatever you’re thinking up in that big brain of yours. I was, well, I was being honest.” 

Allen paused, mentally said ‘fuck it’ and plowed forward. “I’m not here to just fuck and exchange barbs. I want to try and see if we can make something work. Like...where we go out to proper dinner or maybe spend an evening in.” He admitted, looking down and loosening his grip on Sixty’s arm, “I just didn’t want you to get freaked out if you were just looking for casual sex.”

A snort escaped Sixty's lips bit he didn't quite look Allen in the eyes.

"Oh yes, I am so into casual sex that you were only the first lay of my life. Watch me go bed the next handsome floozy who bats their eyelashes at me." He finally looked up at Allen, his shame morphing into anger. "I could have anyone I want, I know that. Yet for some reason I picked you. To make me regret such a good shag is not a polite thing to do."

He wrenched his arm from Allen's grip, uncertain whether he wanted to run or fling himself back onto the bed for a cuddle with whispered promises of dinners and more. If that was all just a lie to placate him in that moment, he didn't want to risk the hurt.

"I'll be in the living room, on the couch. If you were serious with that little speech, you can find me there."

Mustering up what little dignity he felt he had left, he stalked out of the bedroom.

Allen considered glumly that since he had gotten involved with Sixty, he had never once felt like he was on totally solid ground. It was always a guessing game, trying to locate his true feelings under all the bravado. And yet...Allen found he quite liked the idea of sticking around to keep trying. Ridiculous, he knew. If he stuck around he was probably in for quite a bit of theatrics and fussing like this. 

Watching Sixty stalk out of the room, Allen couldn't help but feel a strange swell of fondness. Time to go fix this. He stood up and grabbed his own briefs off the ground as well as Sixty's sweatpants, knowing the prospect of sleeping naked on the couch was going to seem less and less attractive the less angry Sixty got.

"You still never answered my question." Allen said gently as he entered the room and sat down next to Sixty on the sofa, "About what  _ you _ wanted. I gave you my answer, why don't you tell me yours?"

The fact Allen followed him out of the bedroom and settled on the sofa next to Sixty made him blink in surprise. He had fully expected to spend the night on the sofa, catching snatches of sleep between blowing his nose. At least having a cold had the benefit of being able to blame a runny nose on that rather than crying. He turned to Allen next to him, uncertain of what to actually say.

"What does it matter what I want?" he gritted out. "You said yourself you weren't sure what you wanted. Thought I would freak out at the prospect of more than casual sex. I don't know what you think of me right now but I wouldn't put my money on anything good."

It was the truth. Whatever he thought he might want, it was all for nothing if Allen only saw him as a curiosity that could easily warm his dick. He wanted to be more than that, but not at the expense of deluding himself into thinking it was something Allen simply wasn't capable of giving.

The more they talked, the more Allen was seriously regretting his weak self control earlier. They really shouldn't have had sex, if Sixty was starting to get convinced that was all this was about. He was just too damn attractive, but Allen was going to have to be a big boy and control himself in the future.

"In my defense, I showed up the last three times to your house without any expectations for sex." Allen explained, keeping his own voice calm and steady in contrast to Sixty's outburst, "And it matters what you want because, well, that's the only way I'm comfortable moving forward if that's what we're doing." 

As a sort of apology for making him leave the bedroom, where he really should be resting, Allen held out Sixty's sweatpants.

Having his own sweatpants pushed towards him made Sixty blink owlishly. His head was spinning, trying to squeeze Allen's words into the narrative he'd already established in his mind. The retort about Allen gallantly waiting for their third date before bedding him caught in his throat. He took the sweatpants and held it close to his chest, not quite sure what his own twisted idea of truth was compared to reality.

"I don't want you to laugh at me," he admitted into the silence which had stretched on. "I worry that if I ask for more, for you to stay, it will all be ripped away with a cruel laugh. Even though you've been nothing but kind and patient." He finally looked up at Allen, eyes tear bright. "I don't know why you'd want to stick around after all the shit I've put you through."

Allen waited quietly as Sixty sorted through whatever was clouding up his head right now. He was a patient man, he could wait. And it was worth it, to finally hear that honesty coming from Sixty, that vulnerability that Allen was coming to see as a huge sign of trust.

He met Sixty’s gaze and held it, slowly offering him a small smile. “I’m not going to laugh at you. Promise. Not unless you make another one of those dumb sex jokes when you’re high on cold pills.” Allen replied, the last part clearly an attempt to lift Sixty’s spirits, “I want to stick around, if you’ll have me. And that’s the truth.” He couldn’t believe that they had both been worried the other would laugh at them, but he supposed given their previous relationship...

A small, hopeful look made Sixty's eyes go big as he stared at Allen, who wanted to stick around. Thoughts of not just the sex they will indulge in but also everything else that comes with it such as cuddle, dates, comfort flooded his mind. Admittedly, he looked forward to more sex, to trying out some things together but it wasn't the only thing he wanted.

"I don't know who could ever say no to you asking if they wanted you," he muttered. Tentatively, he opened up an arm in invitation.

Much like his job was to dissect bodies, he felt the need to tear apart and study every aspect of their potential relationship. Assess who held what role in what situation. It was overwhelming, and Sixty wasn't sure how he was going to cope.

Allen’s smile widened as he scooted closer and leaned up against Sixty, his own arms circling around his torso. The invitation was much appreciated, Allen had been looking forward to maybe trying out this whole snuggling business. “All that matters is you saying yes.” He reassured Sixty, getting comfortable and looking up at him to watch his expressions.

“We’ll take it slow, figure out what we both like, okay?” Allen offered. He could tell that Sixty’s brain was still working overtime up there, and he patted him gently on the chest, adding “Trust me, I want to be here as long as you want me here.”

Snuggling, Sixty decided, was nice. More than nice. He tipped his head so his cheek rested on the top of Allen's head and he let out a soft hum.

"I might need reminding of that every now and then." The admission didn't hurt as much as he'd expected. He sniffled a little, nose tickling and getting bunged up again. "If you reach behind you, there's a throw, want to bundle up in that? It's getting a bit chilly."

He curled up against Allen a little, swinging his legs into his lap. It was only when he was comfortable that it occurred to him that he perhaps should have asked before doing that. Relationships were definitely more work and worry than anticipated. The thought made him freeze. Relationship. Connor and Nines were going to murder him in the most lovingly fraternal way for this.

Allen pressed a few gentle kisses to Sixty’s neck in reply, thinking it wouldn’t be too much of a hardship to remind Sixty he wanted to be here. Especially now that he knew those confessions were wanted. 

“Only if you put those sweatpants back on, I don’t want you catching a chill.” Allen said, feeling like an overprotective mom but still saying it anyways. He reached up for the blanket and was halfway to wrapping them up when he felt the body on his lap still suddenly. “Are you okay?” Allen asked, concern writing itself over his face.

The sweatpants were more difficult to wriggle into than anticipated when Sixty couldn't be bothered to get up to put them on. He writhed a little before letting out a triumphant little crow at managing it.

"See, I can do as asked." He paused and sighed, trying to figure out the best way to explain. "Well, you've met my brothers before. We're kind of a package deal. They're going to have some choice words about my love life. Not that they can talk, mind you. Just, I don't want them running you off because they can be, well, you know how they can be, you saw hints of it recently."

What he couldn't say was that he wanted to be evaluated on his own merit, as a person in his own right. He didn't want opinions about Nines and Connor weighing into Allen's decision to stick around or not. Especially because Connor was his twin, people often parcelled them up into one and Sixty usually drew the short end of that stick.

Allen chuckled at Sixty’s little display, giving him a congratulatory little pat on the back. “Good job, I’m very proud” he said. As Sixty explained his worries, Allen focused on getting them bundled up in the blanket, so by the time he was done talking they were well and truly cozied up together. Allen had pretty much shifted the larger man so he was sitting on his lap, which was perfect.

“Don’t worry about me getting scared off by your brothers.” Allen reassured him, looking up and shooting him a lazy grin, “As you can see, even getting attacked on the road wasn’t enough to keep me away for long.” Sobering up somewhat, he added “I don’t want to cause any family drama that will upset you though. Connor seems like the type to throw a bitch fit over something like this.”

That drew a huff from Sixty and a dark mutter of "if you thought my bitch fits were bad, wait until dear brother has a full on tantrum."

However, as much as the notion annoyed him, there was no denying that there was certainly going to be drama. No doubt Connor was going to accuse him of only getting with Allen to piss him off and make him pay for being so reckless on the road.

"Upset is inevitable in the short term, the question is, will it be worth it?" And he desperately hoped it would be, that Allen wouldn't turn around and leave at the first signs of an issue.

Allen swallowed hard, trying to imagine a worse tantrum then Sixty’s. But then again, Connor had already tried to kill him, so it wasn’t  _ that _ hard to imagine. He wondered briefly if Hank was still punishing Connor for that, and how much of that annoyance was being turned on him in return.

“Look, as long as Connor’s murder attempts don’t get any worse, there’s no way he’s getting rid of me.” Allen confirmed, “I’m a stubborn son of a bitch, whatever’s between the two of us has nothing to do with their opinion.” He cocked his head and leaned up to press a kiss to the corner of Sixty’s mouth, adding “Worth it is guaranteed, as long as we’re having a good time together.”

"I feel like we need to clear the air about Connor. He didn't try to kill you. Just scare you a bit but it went too far. He's already had the bollocking of a lifetime from me, Nines, Hank and even Gavin piled in. While he won't say sorry to you because he's too proud, don't be surprised if the SWAT team have some kind of windfall."

He was torn between trying to snuggle closer to Allen and pulling away. Despite the reassurance that Allen was there as long as they were both happy, he still worried that he wouldn't be enough.

"I may have told Connor if he tried something as stupid again, I will personally strap him down to a gurney and carry out a vivisection to determine what the root of his stupidity is."

Allen was pretty set on keeping Sixty close at this point, arms snugly wrapped around him and weight resting comfortably against him. He was a little heavy, but it was worth it for the closeness.

“Well it sounds like the problem is solved then.” He replied, “If you’re not worried about Connor then I won’t be. And Nines didn’t seem like he’d be all that disapproving of me hanging around more. He let me have the night shift taking care of you, after all.” What he didn’t add was that if Connor didn’t shape up he’d have not only their little families but half the SWAT team on his ass.

Snuffling a little, Sixty burrowed in against Allen.

"I promise my brother is not a killer."

It was absurd that he was vouching that his own brother, a police detective, was not a killer. He relaxed against Allen, let his eyes drift shut. The thrum of tired muscles throbbed gently and he sank into the silence.

“I know.” Allen said with a chuckle, “I know Sixty.” He would have teased further, but he could feel Sixty relaxing against him and he wanted to let him fall asleep if possible. 

Allen let his hands soothe across Sixty’s skin, taking in the smoothness of it and the lean muscle underneath. What a strange twist of fate that had led him to be holding his colleague and ex rival on the sofa as he slept.

Some dreams were plain annoying. Sixty was walking along the street when he stepped in a pothole and tripped. He jerked awake with a full body jolt, disoriented when he collided with another warm body.

"Whuh?" he managed rather unintelligibly before remembering just where he was and with who. "Sorry." He sniffed hard and looked around for a tissue.

Allen hadn’t quite dozed off yet, simply laying there and enjoying the feeling of being blanketed by another person’s body. Sixty jolting like that woke him up completely though, and he smiled up at him as he sniffled. 

“We should probably get you to bed properly.” Allen said, noticing how late it had gotten. He hadn’t meant to keep the poor guy awake for so long when he was sick.

Only stumbling a little, Sixty pulled himself up and held a hand out for Allen.

"Will you come to bed too? Or do you have to shoot off?" His head was a bit fuzzy, still stuffed full of a cold and the wonderful effects of the hot shower were long gone. So was the afterglow of sex. Now, in the dark, everything was settling back into uncertainty again. The only steady thing was Allen's presence and he wanted to cling to it a little more.

Allen accepted the hand up but then immediately slung an arm around Sixty. He was still wobbly and once the fuzziness of sleep passed from his eyes Allen was feeling steady as always.

“I’m here all night.” He reassured Sixty, starting to gently guide him towards the bedroom, “I’m not going to leave you alone.” Before they got into bed he made sure to check if Sixty needed anything like water or cold pills, not letting his own desire to lie down and pass out while pressed together win out over common sense.

Being so cared for by someone who wasn't family was outside the realms of Sixty's experience and he shook his head, there wasn't anything he needed that he couldn't get himself. Self-sufficiency was something he was intimately familiar with.

"The only thing I can't get for myself is a cuddle." He hedged his bets and gently tugged Allen towards the bed. "Is that on the cards?"

Allen figured they were going to have to work on Sixty letting himself be taken care of, but for now he was more than happy to let himself be tugged towards the bed. 

“More than happy to oblige” Allen grinned and couldn’t resist a tease as they both crawled under the covers, “Pretty little dick or no, I’ve been told I do a mean cuddle.”

Half asleep already, Sixty settled on Allen's chest even as he tried to shake his head.

"Nothing mean, please," he asked sweetly. "And your dick is pretty. All of you is infuriatingly nice. You double dipped in the looks department when getting made and even ran back for seconds in the brains section too. It's not fair."

He was quite possibly not quite awake anymore as he contemplated how time passed in the unknown realm of what came before and after life.

Allen was desperately glad they were in the dark right now, because he was flushed from his neck up to his cheeks. Sixty could be wickedly sweet when he wasn’t busting himself with putting up walls. His hand rested on the nape of Sixty’s neck, thumb gently playing with the short hairs at the base of his neck.

“Nothing mean, not for you.” Allen murmured, “We make quite the pair hm? Gorgeous genius that you are.” He would have to start getting better at compliments, it seemed, because Sixty clearly deserved some.

The words made Sixty preen and he stretched a little in Allen's arms.

"Mmmm, my IQ is in the top 1% of the population. Wouldn't surprise me if you were in the top 2% too - that's where the cutoff point is."

He let out a small, kitten like yawn and let himself drift off, comfortable, warm and feeling oddly protected.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy this chapter, in which we learn the answers to two thrilling questions:
> 
> 1) What happens when you make out with someone who has a cold?
> 
> 2) What's Allen's middle name?

Allen was sure he’d never slept so well in his life as he did that night curled up with Sixty. Things were actually going well for him in his personal and professional life...which was why fate decided to kick him in the balls and get him sick.

Well, fate wasn’t so much to blame as all the fluids he had swapped with a sick person over the course of three days. Allen supposed he should have seen this coming, but he was still frustrated when he woke up and found himself running a fever and nursing a sore throat. He called into work sick, of course, but also sent Sixty a rather pitiful string of emojis detailing his plight.

We live in an age beyond hieroglyphs.

That was all Sixty texted back, seemingly uncaring. However, his mind was already in overdrive, trying to figure out what meetings he could delay and rejiggle some other reports so he could get off work early. Satisfied with his plan, he dug around in his wardrobe for one more thing.

Urging his morning to pass quickly, as soon as he could, Sixty was getting changed in his office and slipping into a sleek, black trench coat. The food he'd ordered was ready to be picked up. He had places to be, a boyfriend to tend to. He froze midstep. Boyfriend. That was something he would have to clarify with Allen when he got a chance. With a hopeful bounce in his step, he set out for Allen's home with a detour to pick some food up.

😢😢😢 was all the reply Allen could manage with his head spinning the way it was. He collapsed back into bed with a groan, thinking about how terrible of an idea it had been to go to Sixty for sympathy. It wasn’t like he was his boyfriend or anything, despite Allen almost calling him that already once. He’d have to be careful, or it would slip out when his guard was down.

Allen fell into a rather fitful sleep, feeling too miserable to get up and find food or water for himself. He knew he should, he just didn’t want to.

When knocking on the door didn't bring Allen to open it, Sixty began to consider his options. The most sensible thing would have been to call Allen's phone and inform him he needed to open his door. However, that took the surprise out of his arrival. Casting a glance around, Sixty spotted an open window and grinned. It wouldn't take too much acrobatics to get into the house through there.

A few twists and jumps later, he was tumbling to the ground of the bedroom, Allen was sprawled on the bed, looking pale and sweaty, blatantly ill even as he slept. A part of Sixty's heart squeezed at the sight and he was loathe to wake him.

The knocking had somewhat woken Allen, although he wasn’t quite aware of what the noise had been. So when Sixty all but fell into his room, Allen was roused from his slumber. “Whossat?” He mumbled, blinking blearily up at the strange intruder. 

_ Oh fuck, was he getting robbed?? _

There was something undeniably endearing about Allen trying to wake up, snotty and ill as he was, there was still a sense of defiant danger to him.

"Not robbed. Just nursed back to health," he grinned. "Are you up for some soup?"

Suspecting that Allen had caught the cold he'd had and was on the very tail end of, Sixty could guess exactly how rotten Allen was feeling.

"I even dressed appropriately for the occasion!" He stuck his arms out and let the trench coat slowly fall open to reveal a nurse's outfit.

Allen’s sleepy brain finally registered that it was just Sixty, and he slumped back onto the bed with a relieved sigh. “Fuck...how’d you get into my house?” He croaked, forcing his battered throat to make sounds despite its protestations.

The offer of soup made him raise his head again to nod, but when he caught sight of the nurse outfit Allen suddenly couldn’t make English words anymore. His mouth, embarrassingly, dropped open slightly as he took in the sight.

Ever so pleased with the reaction, Sixty struck another pose before leaning over provocatively to retrieve the container of soup, some tissues which would be kinder to the skin around Allen's nose and also some cold meds. If his memory served, the man was quite low when he had a bit of a snoop in his medicine drawer.

"It was quite easy, your window was open, I saw it as an invitation with a hint of challenge. So here I am."

He sat on the edge of the bed with a small bounce and set his bounty out on the bedside table before reaching for Allen.

"Up we go," he warned and pulled Allen into an upright position, setting pillows behind him for support. "Now, no need to speak, just nod or shake your head. Okay?"

Allen wondered for a few moments if he was hallucinating, but when Sixty admitted he had climbed in through a window he accepted this as reality. That seemed like something he would do. 

Allen allowed himself to be scooted around, appreciating as if for the first time that Sixty was big enough to do that. He wanted to say something about how nice all of this was, but his throat was throbbing and he didn’t want to directly contradict Sixty when he was being so good to him. So instead Allen just nodded, managing a weak smile.

The soft "good boy" was accompanied by a soft ruffle of Allen's hair. He fussed a little bit before settling down with the container of soup in his hand.

"There's no need to force yourself if you don't fancy all of this. Just hold a hand up when you've had enough. After you've had your fill, you can take some meds which will help you sleep it off. Doctor's orders."

He smiled and reached a hand out to cup Allen's cheek before his hand slipped lower and his thumb stroked over Allen's throat tenderly.

Allen wasn’t sure if he was flushing because of the fever or because Sixty was being far too kind and also a little bit hot. It was hard for his cock not to be interested when he had an incredibly attractive man in a nurse costume calling him a good boy.

But Allen was far too sick right now to feel up to getting off, so he simply nodded and tried not to awkwardly tear up as he felt the gentle pressure against his throat. He got weirdly emotional when he was sick, usually he curled up and watched a lifetime movie and cried or something.

"Oh sweetheart," Sixty picked up on the tears which threatened to spill. "Does it hurt that bad? Hang on."

He set the soup to the side and moved so he was next to Allen and pulling him into his lap. It was a simple matter of tucking Allen's face into the crook of his neck and gently rocking him.

"It's okay," he soothed. "We'll get some food and meds in you, then you can go back to sleep."

This was how he was going to die, Allen confirmed in his head. He was going to die of embarrassment because his hot maybe boyfriend was being sweet and kind and cradling him delicately while he was sick and  _ he was going to cry _ . It was unbearable.

Allen managed to confine himself to a few pathetic sniffles, eyes wet and lips definitely wobbly. He couldn’t remember anyone ever being this nice to him while he was sick, and to have it be the usually abrasive Sixty, well. That was too much for his fever addled brain to handle. He snuggled in closer shamelessly, enjoying the feeling of being held.

Just because Sixty couldn't see Aĺlen's reactions didn't mean he couldn't feel them. Carefully, he felt his forehead as he held Allen closer, definitely too warm but without a thermometer he couldn't know more than that.

"It's okay darling. I know it hurts." He circled a hand over Allen's back before slipping a hand in his. "Don't worry about nods if they make you dizzy. Squeeze my hand, once for yes, twice for no. Have you taken any meds today?"

Sixty waited patiently, his free hand gently petting Allen's too warm skin. He felt like a miserable lump of sadness and Sixty was determined to make that change.

Allen had to fight off the urge to just twine their fingers together and squeeze for the hell of it. Instead he forced his mind to come up with the answer to Sixty's question, squeezing twice in short succession. Usually he would have dragged himself out of bed for water and pills by now, but this cold had really knocked him on his ass. He hoped Sixty didn't think he was  _ too _ pathetic for not taking care of himself. He was a responsible adult, promise!

In a way, Sixty should have expected it, Allen was far too out of it to have had any kind of medicine coursing through him. Keeping up a soothing litany, he reached for the stuff he's brought.

"This will make you sleepy but that's okay. It will help you fight the bug and get a bit of rest too. Try and have some soup after taking it though, okay? It is better if you've got a bit of energy."

He placed two pills in Allen's hand and reached for the bottle of sugary drink he'd brought along too. Anything to make sure Allen wasn't going to keel over and pass out.

Allen forced himself to sit up and take the pills, grimacing slightly as the liquid and the pills slid down his scratchy throat. It made him realize just how parched he was though, and he forced a few more swallows down after the pills. Damn, he really wasn't taking care of himself. 

Squeezing once on Sixty's hand, Allen reached for the soup with his other. He really did feel like eating would make him feel better, and at least with Sixty here the meal wouldn't be 'crackers directly out of the box like an animal'.

Keeping Allen braced against his chest, Sixty held the bowl but let Allen control the spoon. He was prepared to take over if needed but felt that at least some autonomy was important.

"Only have as much as you want. The rest can always be heated up later."

He gently kissed Allen's sweaty temple. The pills would kick in soon and knock him out for a few hours and Sixty planned on being there when he woke up.

Allen took the spoon and started solemnly slurping at the soup. It tasted good, he was sure, but with the state his nose was in he could barely taste it. But he was sure this was good for him, so he pressed onwards.

Before long though, Allen’s head started to swim, and it became harder and harder to move the spoon and keep his eyes open. He sighed softly, head leaning against Sixty as the drugs kicked in.

The way Allen was flagging in his arms was indication enough that he was going to pass out any minute now. Carefully, Sixty pulled the spoon from his hand and put it to the side along with the bowl. Given how bunged up Allen was, he wriggled around a little and let him curl against his chest, breathing a little easier when propped up.

"You get some sleep, love, I promise I'll be here when you wake up."

Sixty pulled the cover up over them, tucked it around Allen and settled in for the long haul.

Allen made a few soft noises as he was bundled up, but he was mostly too far gone to really register what was being said. All he knew was that he was comfortable and sleepy and Sixty made an incredibly good pillow. It wasn’t long before he was out like a light.

When he finally woke up, Allen was aware of two things: one, his mouth was open and he was drooling, and two, he was asleep on someone. His head jerked up awkwardly as he tried to reorient himself, feeling fuzzy and disoriented still but somewhat less terrible.

As Allen moved, Sixty instinctively wrapped arms around him, trying to keep him from stumbling around.

"Easy does it," he murmured as he pulled Allen back against his chest. "It's just me. I've got you."

Sixty was somewhat regretting turning up in the sexy nurse outfit, it was definitely not comfortable to lounge in for hours on end, the garter clips were digging into his thigh. On the plus side, at least the PVC material of it meant that the drool hadn't soaked into his clothes.

Sixty’s voice snapped Allen back to reality, and he remembered where he was with a flush of shame. Relaxing with a soft sigh, he looked up at Sixty and mumbled “Sorry, I’m gross.” His voice sounded like he had recently been gargling sandpaper, but at least it didn’t hurt terribly to speak. 

Looking down gave him an incredible view of Sixty’s long legs stretched out and encased in delightful cream stockings. He couldn’t help himself, he reached out and gave one thigh a gentle rub, enjoying the sensation of cool skin and silky material.

Sometimes Allen really made it too easy and Sixty's lips curled into a grin.

"Hello Gross, I'm Sixty." He cackled at his own joke and ended up biting back on a moan as Allen's hand started rubbing his thigh. "Be careful with that," he warned, "I don't think you're in any shape to do more than doze. We could watch something, or I could read to you if you'd like?"

Allen managed to roll his eyes at the terrible joke. Dad jokes already, what were they, a married couple in their forties? The thought of that sent an odd ache through his chest, and he quickly ignored it. 

“I know, you just look so good...I could eat you up if I weren’t so tired.” Allen admitted, letting his hand still in defeat. He wished he didn’t feel so terrible, he was wasting an amazing chance here. “Do you...like reading out loud?” Allen asked, surprised to hear yet another sweet offer from Sixty.

A little defensive, Sixty shrugged.

"It might surprise you but if I hadn't gone down the route of my job, I would have gone into paediatrics." He sometimes still wondered whether he had picked the right career but then he remembered that the dead can't scream and throw things and he knew he'd made the right choice.

"So name a book or I can pick something for you if that's what you want. As long as you're resting, I'll even suffer through a Mills & Boon for you."

Allen tried to imagine Sixty surrounded by kids. A few days ago he might have laughed, but now, snuggled comfortably in bed and being taken care of with a lot of compassion, Allen simply smiled. 

“You would have been a good pediatrician.” He said, his hand coming up from Sixty’s thigh to wrap comfortably around his waist. He considered what book to ask for for a few minutes, then decided that was too much brain energy.

“I have a bookcase in the next room, you can pick something out from there if you like. Although if you do read a romance novel I’ll probably cry again.”

Humming in contemplation, Sixty pulled his phone out.

"I've got books on here, saves us having to move. My question is, do you want to cry?"

While he couldn't see the appeal himself, some people swore that a good cry helped clear their sinuses.

Allen looked down at the already sad spot on Sixty’s nice dress and shook his head. “I think I’ll keep the embarrassment as low as I can at this point” He admitted quietly. 

“Do you have a favorite book with you?”

Sixty moved to cup the back of Allen's head as he leaned down to kiss him gently.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about. If it helps, I've probably seen worse at work and training."

He flicked through his phone and found the perfect book to read to Allen.

"Settle in then," he cleared his throat. "Have you ever heard of The Neverending Story?"

The kiss was soft and kind and perfect to get Allen’s mind off of being mortified at his own drool stain. Not exactly the type of stain he had been hoping to leave on this costume.

“I’ve heard of it, but never got around to watching the movie.” He admitted, snuggling in closer and shamelessly resting his head on Sixty’s chest, “So it’ll be a surprise.” He was excited to hear something that was dear to his not quite boyfriend.

The warm weight of Allen relaxing against him was comforting and Sixty found himself sinking into a bubble of contentment.

"I can tell you that the book is significantly better than the film. And that is a scientific fact."

Softly, he began reading from the beginning of the story, falling into its familiar world quickly.

Allen hummed softly to note that he understood, then immediately regretted that as he coughed painfully. This was the worst. Rather miserably at first, he listened to Sixty read. But that bad mood was no match for that soothing voice and the fantastic world it was describing.

Soon, Allen found himself softly smiling along with the story, hanging on every word. He was so enraptured he barely noticed his eyes start to slip shut until it was too late.

It was all sorts of endearing to have Allen drift off again. A warmth like nothing before filled Sixty as he glanced down at him. Even though he was asleep, he kept reading aloud, until his voice started to go husky with too much use. It had been a long time since he'd spoken continuously for so long.

Carefully adjusting his hold on Allen, he tried to gently work the pins and needles out of his arm.

Allen dozed for a while longer, lulled perfectly to sleep by Sixty’s warm presence and his soothing voice. When he woke next he was less disoriented than before, looking up instinctively to find Sixty as he blinked his eyes open. 

“You have the most beautiful voice” Allen mumbled, the first thought out of his mouth being the one he had fallen asleep thinking. He looked and sounded a mess, but he was gazing at Sixty with a sort of unguarded softness in these first few moments of consciousness.

Blinking down at Allen, Sixty grinned and stroked his cheek.

"You're not so bad yourself you know. How are you feeling?"

He rolled his neck a little, trying to work out the kinks in it. They had managed to slip down the bed a little and it was less than comfortable now.

“I sound like I’m dying, don’t tease” Allen protested, leaning into the hand on his cheek without thinking. He considered for a moment, then replied “Better a bit. I could probably eat some more soup now and that would do me good.” Looking at the way they were positioned, he said sheepishly “Sorry for trapping you. You should probably get up and stretch.”

Soup sounded like a sensible idea and Sixty said as much. He looked at the bowl and frowned.

"Shall I heat it up for you? Give you a chance to go to the loo and all that if you need."

Carefully, he disentangled himself and stood with a groan as his joints popped.

"You may sound like you're dying but I can assure you, there are times you sound like you're experiencing life for the first time. And those noises? They're ones to treasure."

"Might be a good idea." Allen agreed, realizing belatedly that a trip to the bathroom would probably be appreciated by his body. He slowly worked himself into a sitting position and let the world stop spinning before even trying to get up. Slow and steady was the way to go now.

"You pay the sweetest compliments." Allen replied, wondering if the flush would show up against his fever. He didn't think anyone had ever complimented the noises he made before.

Watching Allen struggle to sit up, Sixty made an executive decision.

"Don't squirm." That was all he said before he hefted Allen up with a grunt and marched him towards the bathroom. Setting him down with more care than he thought possible, he looked around, everything seemed to be in reach.

"If you need anything throw something at the door and I'll come running. I don't want you passing out and hitting your head."

He leaned down and kissed Allen on the forehead before sweeping out of the room again to get the soup heated up and see whether Allen's kettle was serviceable for some tea with honey mixed in.

Allen let out an undignified yelp as Sixty picked him up. He certainly hadn't expected to be lifted up by the thinner man, but he supposed that had been him underestimating Sixty's abilities. Allen clung to him awkwardly, feeling incredibly well taken care of yet again.

"You really just never stop surprising me in all the best ways." Allen said, pulling Sixty down for a proper kiss before he left the bathroom. Part of the fun of being in this relationship was constantly being pleasantly surprised, it seemed. 

Once he was alone, Allen took care of business and even managed to haul himself up to use the sink on his own. He didn't want to call for Sixty quite yet, so he just stood there slightly shaky and wondered if maybe he could clutch the wall to get back to bed.

With everything warm and set up, Sixty decided to go retrieve his errant...whatever Allen was to him. He knocked on the open door without looking in to preserve Allen's modesty at least.

"All done?"

Allen looked up with a smile when Sixty appeared. "Yes, done and clean!" He confirmed, holding his hands up and chuckling, "Like a big boy." He felt a little bit like a child getting babied over using the toilet, but also he was grateful for someone making sure he hadn't split his skull open.

Two steps was all it took for Sixty to get close enough to pick Allen up again.

"Hold on, little spidermonkey." He laughed at his own wit and wondered whether Allen would catch the reference. "Back to bed? Or do you want to vegetate in front of the TV for a bit?"

This time, Allen was ready to be picked up, and he happily wrapped his arms and legs around Sixty to cling properly. He was grinning, and said “I’m not going to want to ever be put down at this rate.” 

Allen rolled his eyes at the reference and suggested “Why don’t we watch a movie? Seems like you’re in the mood for that.”

There was no way Sixty could admit that maybe he didn't want to put Allen down. It was oddly nice to have him be so open to being carried around like a koala.

"Soup first, then we'll see what you're in the mood for."

He set Allen down on the sofa and bundled him up.

"Can't have a chilly boyf-" he cut himself off with a snap of his jaw. "Chilli beef. You're my crispy chilli beef." That was the best save he could come up with in a mild panic.

Maybe he would object to being seen in public like this, but in private Allen delighted in the idea of Sixty continuing to tote him around like this. It was comfortable and soothing. He let Sixty bundle him up on the sofa, behaving himself and not squirming around. 

The boyfriend slip up had Allen staring up at Sixty with wide eyes, at first also panicking, then starting to laugh at the cover up. “I’m your beef?” He asked in between wheezy laughs, “That’s quite the nickname Sixty”

Flustered at being called out like that, Sixty flapped his hands in agitation.

"You're all muscle bound and beefy. And right now you have a cold which is synonym of chilly. So I made a pun about chilli beef." It sounded plausible enough and Sixty looked at Allen, daring him to challenge his apparent logic.

Allen sobered up somewhat as he looked up at Sixty, seeing the worry and panic still clear in his posture and expression. He fidgeted a bit under the blanket, trying to gather his words when everything was still foggy from the cold. “You know, I wouldn’t mind if you called me something else.” He said, “Beefy is fine but...boyfriend would be okay too if you want.”

It seemed like a safe guess given the slip up and the way Sixty seemed so eager to be close. And truthfully, Allen kind of wanted it too.

The world came to a standstill and Sixty gawped at Allen. He couldn't be serious. It was probably the fever talking or he was trying to be nice because Sixty was looking after him and this was some weird way to placate him.

"I didn't realise your full name was Boyfriend Allen," he tried to turn it into a joke, hoping against all hope that Allen wouldn't laugh in his face because it was some great prank. "You never did tell me your first name yourself you know."

Allen resisted the urge to groan as Sixty threw up yet another barrier at him instead of just taking the honest gesture for what it was. Instead, he just kept smiling up at the other man, rolling along with whatever he decided to do next.

"I mean, I just did - Boyfriend G Allen, that's what's on all my paperwork." He teased right back, "The G is for Great." The fact that he hadn't told Sixty his full name was weird, he supposed, but it wasn't like he ever called Sixty by  _ his _ proper name.

A small laugh escaped Sixty at the way Allen had taken a lead from his book and was bigging himself up.

"I wouldn't know about the Great part, that's something you'll have to prove." He looked over Allen, really looked. If he was being honest with himself, he looked like utter shit. Hair in a disarray, feverish, sallow and quite ill looking. And yet Sixty had never seen anyone he wanted more. It was time to offer a figurative olive branch.

"You probably already know this. And I kind of hate it. But my actual name is Silas." He waited for the laughter or the mockery to start, shoulders pulled up as if expecting a blow.

Allen squirmed slightly under the intense scrutiny of Sixty's gaze. He was suddenly hyper aware of just how terrible he looked, felt, and probably smelled. He sure hoped that wasn't part of the reason Sixty was being weird about the boyfriend thing. There wasn't much he could do about it, being sick and all.

But just as Allen was worrying over the metaphorical door closing, there it swung open again as Sixty opened up and showed that more vulnerable side. Working a hand out of the blanket, he reached out and patted at what he could reach of Sixty's leg in a comforting sort of way. 

"I like Sixty better anyways." He confirmed with a smile.

All too aware that he was still in the nurse outfit and a hand was patting his garters, Sixty shuffled around a bit.

"I didn't think my outfit through very well, should have brought a change of clothes." He laughed awkwardly and then flushed at the realisation of a potential outcome. If Allen suggested he borrow some of his clothes - that was very much the kind of thing boyfriends would do. He was loath to bring up the matter.

"So, boyfriend?"

Noting the discomfort, Allen pulled his hand away quickly. He hadn't meant to make Sixty feel more awkward, quite the opposite. 

"I mean, if you're in the market for a boyfriend, I'm yours." Allen said, offering him a lopsided sort of grin. It was weirdly nerve-wracking, and he realized with some concern that he was nervous because he didn't want Sixty to turn him down. 

"Boyfriend or no, if you wanted to borrow some clothes, my closet's all yours." He offered gallantly. Sixty would probably look super cute in one of his shirts, the extra material hanging off his thinner frame. Well. Pants might be too short, but they were only going to bed after all.

"Oh!" Something fluttered in Sixty's chest at that and his hands came up to his chest. Before he could make a fool of himself.

"Market implies being bought like cattle. I would much more prefer to call you boyfriend without any kind of transaction if you are amenable? Though I will take you up on your offer of clothes."

He wasn't running away but he needed a moment to himself to bite his lips and hold back a squeal. Allen wanted him! It was such a wild concept, he wasn't certain he wasn't dreaming.

Oh indeed, Allen thought to himself as he watched Sixty. He was so fucking cute sometimes, it was hard to deal with. Allen wished he wasn't sick right now, so he could stand up and bundled him into his arms for a proper kiss.

The lopsided grin blossomed into a more full-fledged grin as Allen nodded, saying "Sounds good to me. Am I allowed to call you the same?" He was pretty sure that was going to be alright, but wanted to make sure.

"As for clothes, help yourself. Anything you can find that fits, you can wear."

Despite his effort to maintain absolute control, Sixty still couldn't hold back the excited little bounce onto his tiptoes.

"Does such a label come with perks such as cuddles and freedom to touch?" His tone was teasing but Allen didn't need to know that he was, in part, serious. The need to know the boundaries of what he could and couldn't do burned strong in him. Sixty really didn't want to mess things up.

Sixty was apparently trying to kill him with cute. This was too much. Allen nodded, replying “Of course. I mean, you’ll get more satisfying cuddles once I’m not sick, but we’ve already made a head start on that part I think.” Every once in a while Allen had to remind himself that Sixty was totally inexperienced and probably was legitimately asking.

Excited, Sixty held up a hand to pause things, just until he could get changed. He rifled through the wardrobe and grinned at finding a soft, old hoodie and some sweatpants that seemed like they would fit for the time being.

Returning to the room, he stood in front of Allen. "Requesting permission to cuddle, Boyfriend G. Allen."

He held his arms out for Allen to inspect his new outfit for suitability of snuggles.

Allen grinned as Sixty came back dressed in his clothes. There was something really satisfying about looking at him and seeing him bundled up in  _ Allen’s _ clothes. Like he didn’t care who saw him claimed like that.

“Permission absolutely granted.” He confirmed, spreading his arms out as best he could to welcome Sixty onto his lap.

With less grace and dignity than usual, Sixty bundled in. He wriggled his way under the blanket and grinned as he could freely move his hands over Allen as he pleased. He did say that touching and cuddles were permitted as he wanted. The novelty of it made Sixty smile like a fool, fingers working under Allen's tshirt to get to skin. Not quite thinking, he pressed a kiss to the corner of Allen's lips.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 17 chapters into a fic absolutely chock full of kink, and the boys finally have an honest talk about kink! The true danger to their relationship rears its head: is Allen too vanilla??

Not for the first time, Allen wished he wasn’t feeling like total garbage right now. Because Sixty’s hands on his skin felt divine, and that kiss to the corner of his lips could easily have been deepened into something far more satisfying. For now, he simply wrapped his arms around Sixty in response and pulled him close, till he was almost sitting on his lap.

“My actual name is Fletcher, by the way.” He admitted, “Although you’re welcome to keep calling me boyfriend instead.”

A purr of satisfaction made Sixty shiver. He decided he quite liked sitting on his boyfriend. And if he wasn't mistakes, the half hard cock against his thigh suggested he wasn't alone in liking it.

"You know, there's a scientific hypothesis that an orgasm can help alleviate symptoms of most illnesses. Shall we put it to a test, Fletcher?"

He wriggled lower until he could slip off Allen's lap and kneel on the floor between his legs. Staring up with bright, hopeful eyes, he waited on the verdict.

Allen’s eyebrows shot up at Sixty’s sudden shift from cuddly to horny. Well, he couldn’t exactly say his thoughts had been totally pure, given the fact that he was half hard in his pajama pants. Which was some kind of miracle honestly, he had never been conscious enough to get horny while he was sick before.

“If you’re interested in testing that hypothesis, I’m your willing test subject” He replied with a lazy smile, reaching down to ruffle Sixty’s hair. He looked so good on his knees.

There was no little amount of glee in Sixty's eyes as he was given the go ahead to so as he pleased.

"Your noble sacrifice in the name of science is most selfless. It will be greatly appreciated by me."

Gently, he nudged at Allen's hips and urged him to lift them so he could slip his clothes off. Presented with the sight of a half hard cock, Sixty swallowed reflexively and shied away a little. He had forgotten to bring condoms with him, a major oversight now that he thought about it.

“I think I’ll also be enjoying myself quite a bit” Allen added, chuckling and then clearing his throat awkwardly. Damn, still sick.

Sixty’s cleat discomfort caught his attention easily though, and Allen offered “There’s condoms in the bedside table if you want.” Dick was, after all, a sort of acquired taste if he was being honest. He wasn’t offended at all by the fact that Sixty still wasn’t comfortable taking him directly into his mouth.

Relieved that Allen didn't seem to mind his hesitance, Sixty retreated to find the promised condoms. He was also quite curious what else he'd find in the drawer, aside from lube. He was oddly disappointed that other than condoms and some generic lube, there was nothing else there. Not even a simple dildo or butt plug.

A hint of worry kicked in. While Sixty didn't have much experience with others, he was very confident in knowing exactly what he liked and had no shame in getting toys that fulfilled all his fantasies. If Allen didn't have even a single toy, would they be compatible in terms of sexual drives and needs? Despite his lack of partners, Sixty knew he wanted more than simple, vanilla sex eventually. He didn't know whether Allen would want that with him though.

Slightly subdued, he returned to the couch and knelt back down, his smile a little muted in the face of all that was racing through his mind.

Allen waited patiently for Sixty to come back, heart thudding and blood pumping happily through his body and more into his cock as he thought about what was about to go down. Hah, go down. He supposed he should have expected something like this, given that Sixty had shown up wearing his sexy nurse costume, but then again everything about his boyfriend seemed surprising to Allen.

Including the strange look on Sixty’s face as he returned to the sofa. “You okay?” Allen asked, worry creasing his brows. Being extremely observant when it came to body language was both helpful and inconvenient at times like this, because he could tell that his boyfriend was worried about something.

Sinking down to his knees, Sixty smiled up at Allen.

"Just thinking," he replied and wondered how much he should poke at the issue. In the end, he decided that it was best to nip things in the bud. If things with Allen weren't going to work out because of such a basic incompatibility, it would save them a lot of aggravation and heartache in the long run to call it quits now. And Sixty would one day be able to laugh about having a boyfriend for a whole ten minutes.

"Are you sure you want this with me? Because we have seemingly very different needs in the bedroom. I," he looked away, a little flustered, "you've seen that I like toys, I like dressing up. I may not have much knowledge of what it's like with another person but I know that I can be pretty high maintenance in the bedroom as well as out of it. I don't want to make you uncomfortable with demands but at the same time, I'm not sure I can keep things completely vanilla either. So I guess I want you to be sure you want me as I am and not as whatever you imagine me to be."

There, he'd put it out there, bared his worries and desires. Now he had to wait and see whether Allen would take him or leave him.

This seemed like a very weird conversation for them to be having while Sixty was on his knees. Allen considered trying to haul him up onto the sofa but thought better of that when he felt the pressure in his head. Instead, he listened carefully as his boyfriend laid out his worries, making a few small noises along the way to indicate he was still following.

“Sixty, in the last few days every imagined thing I had in my head about you had been pretty much wrecked. You’re like a hurricane in a bottle, but I like that.” Allen finally spoke, voice low and soft and raspy around the edges, “I may not have as much experience with kinks in the bedroom, but I’m a very amenable person. I like to learn, I like to try new things if that’s what gets you off.” He shrugged a little, adding “I mean, getting into a relationship just means that you want to find out more about that person, right? You certainly don’t know everything about me.”

Silence enveloped the room as Sixty mulled it all over. As per usual, Allen had a very fair point, he didn't know everything about him and was making wild assumptions. He laid his head on Allen's thigh and closed his eyes.

"I hate how you're so reasonable about everything and make things seem like the most simple and easy to resolve issues. Guess I was just worried that there's a difference between learning more about each other and going in knowing the two of us are wildly incompatible in the bedroom department." Much more quietly he added, "I don't want to freak you out or disappoint you."

Allen laid a gentle hand on top of Sixty’s head where it rested on his leg. He hoped this touch wouldn’t be as unwelcome as the one to his thigh earlier. Because he really just wanted to card his fingers through those dark locks.

“So far, has anything we’ve done in the bedroom seemed incompatible to you?” Allen asked, and he meant it both as a rhetorical but also a genuine question. “I mean, sure I missed out on that one afternoon but aside from that I think both of us have left every encounter pretty damn satisfied.” He tapped gently on Sixty’s cheek, hoping to get him to look up as he added “And I’m certainly not disappointed with you, at all. So get that out of your pretty little head.”

Glancing up, Sixty offered a shy little smile.

"You called me pretty," he crooned in slight awe. Deep down, he knew he was avoiding the question and decided he needed to actually stop running for a change. "And you're right, again. There's not been a sign of incompatibility. Most wouldn't give me the time of day when they found out that despite me wealth of solo experience, I'm anything but."

He pressed into the hand on his cheek. Perhaps he was liking kneeling by Allen's feet more than he ever thought he would.

Something in Allen’s chest twisted awkwardly when he saw that shy little smile. Sixty was so sweet underneath all of his bluster. His thumb brushed against Sixty’s cheek as he leaned into the pressure. 

“Of course, you’re very pretty” Allen murmured, then added in a more serious tone “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with that kind of rejection. Personally I don’t care what kind of experience you’ve got, as long as you’re coming into this with an open mind. I mean, I’ve known people with tons of experience who were total bastards in bed so...”

"Open mind and an open," Sixty broke off and winked at Allen. "Heart."

He giggled at his own joke, trying to hide his laughter. There was something so relaxing about being with Allen, he wanted to do something for the man. Slowly, he trailed his hand up an exposed thigh, skirting over the sensitive skin he found there.

Allen snorted then coughed a bit as his throat protested the abuse. He was certainly talking a lot more than he usually did when he was sick. That feather light touch brought him back to reality quick enough, muscles tending and then relaxing.

“You don’t have to get me off, you know.” He murmured, “Every encounter we have doesn’t have to end in sex if you’re not interested.”

Sitting back on his heels, Sixty looked up at Allen and tried to figure out what to do now. The more he looked, the more tired Allen seemed, drawn and pale. With a sigh, Sixty pushed up from the floor and carefully helped Allen back into his trousers. Once decent, he shifted them so Allen was back in his lap.

"So, boyfriend," he smiled into his hair. "If you want to get off, you just let me know - I'm almost always down to mess around. But for now, I think you need some soup and another meds induced nap."

Allen’s cock was a little disappointed at the blowjob, but he had mostly lost his erection at that point anyway. Having a serious discussion about relationships would do that to a person, he figured. That and being sick.

“That’s a very kind offer.” Allen said, snuggling in happily and leaning up to press a kiss against Sixty’s throat. “Maybe later? Once I’m not so terribly sick you could show me something  _ you _ like?”

That sounded like a wonderful promise. Sixty nodded and hummed in satisfaction.

"I'll leave you wondering how you've lived without such heady pleasure before," he promised. Already, his mind was coming up with various scenarios and ideas of what he could show Allen. Although...first things first.

"Is there anything you categorically know you don't even want to try?"

Allen’s hand was lazily stroking up and down Sixty’s chest as he listened, enjoying the feeling of the hoodie sliding over skin underneath. 

“I mean, I don’t have enough experience to be too sure.” He admitted after a moment’s thought, “I don’t think I’d like to actually hurt you though. Rough play is good, but you know, like knives? That doesn’t seem like my scene.”

Shuddering, Sixty nodded.

"I cut open enough people at work. No need to bring it to the bedroom too. Perhaps I should mention that I don't like humiliation. So unless you want me in unhappy tears, don't call me a cheap slut or a worthless fuck." He shivered at the idea, just thinking about Allen looming above him, degrading words dripping like venom from his lips made his lips curve downwards. Instead, he focused on the reality, of Allen warm in his lap, hand idly trailing over his chest. It was nice, he could stay like that for hours on end.

Allen had been with a few people who had loved to be degraded, so it was good that Sixty warned him up front. “I’d never call you anything like that, beautiful.” Allen reassured him, nuzzling in closer. Even the idea seemed to bother him, so it was a definite thing to avoid. 

Seeing this as an opportunity to be a little vulnerable himself, Allen admitted, “I’ve never tried it before, but earlier when you were praising me...that really did something for me. I was into that.”

A warm flush of hope raced through Sixty at that. There was something infinitely lovely about being able to praise Allen and watch him flush beautifully from words alone. He bounced Allen in his lap.

"It's just as well you look beautiful when being praised. And you're so good, I think you'll be on the receiving end of that quite often."

In the privacy of his own mind, he made a promise to keep up a stream of praise for Allen. He wondered whether anyone had ever treated him like a precious gem before. Usually, a man in charge and with his kind of attitude was expected to be grim and gruff in the bedroom. It would be Sixty's absolute pleasure to treat him right for a change.

Allen felt himself flush just from that alone, but managed a somewhat passable smirk up at Sixty. “I think I’d like that a lot.” He said. It wasn’t that he was insecure in bed. There was just...something infinitely satisfying and exciting about hearing that vocalized. Especially when he had never heard that sort of praise before from a sexual partner. 

A thought occurred to Allen, and he asked “I remember earlier you said you were going through a sub drop. Is sub/dom stuff something you’re into?” He had done a tiny bit of research after their encounter, and it had all seemed highly fascinating.

They were being open and honest here, Sixty had to remind himself. So rather than laugh it off or shrug, he tentatively nodded.

"Somewhat. The power dynamics can be fun to play with. And the care that goes into something like that is something I really appreciate. Plus, I find it a headspace that's easy to get lost in, as you saw. I'm guessing you've looked into it to ask, what did you think?"

Sixty didn't know whether he was braced for it being dismissed or embraced. Reality was probably somewhere in between.

  
  


“I liked the structure of it. It seems...safe, if you’re doing it right. Kind of like the way my team operates.” Allen admitted. When he had looked at the trust and the rules involved in safe D/S play he had been reminded of the kind of structure his team relied on in dangerous situations. Knowing their limits but testing them in a scenario where they could fully trust their partners.

“I think I’d like to try it. Only if I get a heads up first this time though. I didn’t like seeing you so out of it. I’d want to take care of you properly.”

A flash of shame burned Sixty's cheeks. That time he hadn't intended to slip like that, it had been all too easy to fall into that headspace with Allen's naturally commanding and steady tones.

"I didn't mean for that to happen," he admitted quietly. "You just have this natural way about you that made it easy to slip down. Sorry."

Gently, Sixty worked his arms around Allen and cuddled him.

"You should rest your voice, at this rate people will think I nursed you on nothing but cock."

“It’s alright, I’m not mad. Just concerned, I don’t want to accidentally hurt you.” Allen insisted, leaning into the snuggle with a pleased sigh. It really did feel nice to be the little spoon, so to speak.

A weak laugh escaped at that comment, and Allen admitted “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. Sadly I don’t think I could even take a cock right now.” With his throat so raw, he shuddered to think of the toll that would take on his gag reflex.

It felt so natural and easy to settle on the sofa, Sixty could even reach the remote and passed it to Allen so he could find something for them to watch. He was a warm weight in his lap, comfortable and perfect to let his hands roam over, fingers catching on a hem here or a sliver of skin there. It had been a long time since Sixty had felt so at ease. His mind wandered, flitting from thought to thought without too much awareness of the world around him.

Allen picked out some dumb cooking competition that wouldn’t take too many brain cells to pay attention to, and settle back against Sixty. He could hear his pulse echoing slowly in his ear, and the soft touches across Allen’s body were heavenly. It didn’t take long for him to get sleepy, but this time he managed to look up at Sixty and ask “Can we go back to bed?” His voice was slurred from sleep, but he didn’t want to trap Sixty in another uncomfortable position.

Who was Sixty, to refuse such a sweet ask? He slipped an arm under Allen's knees and stood up with a groan.

"Anything you'd like." Carefully, he manoeuvred them back to bed and tucked Allen under the sheets. "Do you want a snuggle buddy or would you prefer the bed to yourself for a bit?"

Allen thought sleepily that he would have to pay Sixty back for all the pampering he was doing right now. He wasn’t exactly the lightest dude on the planet, but his boyfriend was carting him around despite that.

Squirming a little to get comfortable, Allen yawned and managed a “Snuggle buddy?” despite sleep closing in fast.

Getting in the bed next to Allen, Sixty pulled him close and guided his head to his shoulder. It also gave him a chance to check his temperature with a hand to his forehead. Still warm but not as bad as before.

"Get some rest, sweetheart," he murmured, smiling a little at how Allen was already half asleep, and yawning cuter than a kitten.

When Allen fell asleep, he felt warm, and comforted, and cared for. He relaxed happily into Sixty’s embrace despite his sickness, and didn’t even worry about drooling again.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing good seems to last forever for these boys, hm? It's a good thing they've got each other to rely on!

Unfortunately, as the night rolled on, a combination of the fever and the added heat of the blankets and Sixty’s body had Allen’s peaceful sleep turning dark. He had been quite stressed this week as well, and all of that culminated in a mess of a nightmare - familiar faces and imagined demons all turning on him. Allen squirmed in his sleep, head tossing as small uncomfortable sounds escaped his throat.

Fever dreams had a habit of turning nasty. When Allen began tossing and turning, it woke Sixty. Half asleep himself, he sat up and patted Allen.

"Wake up, Fletch," he mumbled. "It's just a dream. You're okay."

Leaning over a little, he reached to run a hand through Allen's hair, hoping to ease him out of the nightmare.

With his mind wrapped up in the nightmare, Allen had no chance of remembering that he had gone to bed with Sixty. That in itself was still such a novelty, so his first thought upon feeling a touch on his skin was to lash out. 

Unfortunately, years of SWAT training meant that the elbow Allen jabbed upwards as he sat up suddenly was moving fast and moving in the direction of Sixty’s face. He was still only half awake when he felt his elbow connect with something...someone...? And looked over, blinking desperately as he heaved for breath.

White hot pain exploded at the corner of Sixty's eye. His head snapped back and a hand flew up to clutch at it as he doubled over, mind in utter disarray over why something was hurting so much so suddenly. It felt like he'd been hit. In fact he had been hit but he was too dizzy to do much other than stay down and hope that no more blows came. At least not until he could defend himself.

A light came on, blinding him even more for a moment and he curled in on himself a little more, trying to protect as much as he could.

As Allen came to his senses and groped for the light switch, the body on the bed came into terrible focus. “Oh fuck.” Came out in a hoarse whisper as he saw Sixty curled up.

“Oh god oh no, Sixty I’m so sorry” he said, approaching with shaking hands. He wanted to touch but wasn’t sure if he was allowed, hesitating and drawing back onto himself.

The pain made Sixty defensive and as Allen loomed above him, anger unfurled into fury.

"You fucking hit me!" he snarled, blinking through tears of pain. In the back of his mind, a little voice piped up about nightmares, fevers and delirium. Trying to get a better look at Allen, Sixty squinted up at him and all anger melted away. Pushing down on his own pain, he sat up slowly.

"Hey," his voice was gentle, more so then even he'd expected. "You okay?"

To Allen’s surprise and utter shame, when Sixty lashed out in response, tears started prickling at his eyes. His mind was still whirling with nightmare fear, and the fever was making everything fuzzy around the edges. He wrapped his arms around himself and shrank back from Sixty, shoulders hunching down in an attempt to be less threatening.

“I’m sorry” came out in a watery squeak as he shook his head, trying not to burst into full on tears.

If nothing else did, Allen's voice broke through the last vestiges of hostility in Sixty. That sound was not of a man out to deliberately hurt someone. Blinking through the tears and swelling that was already making his vision narrow, he properly looked at Allen.

He wasn't looking too good, fever flushed and miserable, curling away from Sixty. As much as Sixty was in pain, he was rational enough to realise that the lashing out was one of nightmare induced panic and fear. It took less than a second to scramble over to Allen and tuck him against his chest, not heeding the small voice of worry that he might be attacked again.

"You're okay. You're safe. Nothing can hurt you here."

Allen flinched away from Sixty's grip at first, fearing the retribution he knew he deserved. He fully expected the other man to hit him back, but instead he was folded up in warm arms and gently reassured. That was all it took to burst the dam he had been desperately trying to prop up, and Allen burst into proper tears.

A stream of weak curses and apologies tumbled out of his lips as he curled closer to Sixty, embarrassment and upset roiling in his chest.  _ Fuck, now you've gone and done it, _ he thought miserably to himself,  _ Here was Sixty trying to be kind, and you punched the shit out of him, you bastard. _

The flinch and sudden tears were a frightening change. Sixty tucked Allen close to his chest and rocked him gently.

"It's okay darling," he murmured against his hair. "I've got you, it was just a bad dream. I promise to keep you safe."

Whatever dream had got Allen so upset, it must have been frightening. Trying to help reassure him, Sixty wiped a trickle of what he thought was stray tears of pain from his own face and frowned when his hand came away bloody. Seemed the blow had managed to split his skin a bit.

Allen was trying to collect himself as best he could, sucking in air through his teeth as he snuffled pitifully through his stuffed up nose. Slowly, more slowly than he'd like, he managed to calm the fear that was making his heart hammer in his chest, listening to the slow rhythm of Sixty's voice instead.

As soon as he was able, Allen lifted his head and wiped a few stray tears away from his eyes. "Are you alright?" He croaked out, throat clogged and uncomfortable from the combination of crying and sickness.

"I will live." Perhaps not the most reassuring of words now that Sixty thought about it. "But you're my priority at the moment. Want to tell me about your dream? What got you so upset?"

He was going to get Allen a drink of water and some more meds soon, along with an ice pack for himself. But he wasn't sure he could leave Allen alone in bed in good conscience right now. The calm felt too brittle, one false move and he feared he'd set Allen off again.

Finally getting a good look at Sixty's face and seeing the blood made Allen blanch. He wasn't squeamish, far from it, but seeing the damage he'd done made him sick to his stomach. "God...I'm so fucking sorry Sixty." He murmured, "You're bleeding, you need to go clean that off and get some ice on the bruise."

When questioned about his own feelings, Allen swallowed hard and mumbled "It was just...I dunno, a lot of stuff all jumbled together. Crashes on the street, missions gone bad..." When he had nightmares they tended to be a patchwork of bad instead of a coherent narrative.

Shaking his head, Sixty stayed firmly put.

"The blood was in me only minutes ago and you weren't complaining then. Now that it's out, it's no more in the way or dangerous. As I said, you're my priority right now. A bit of blood can wait."

He wiped a few stray tears off Allen's face and tried to figure out what his next steps should be. Whether Allen was well enough to go out to the kitchen with him or not. His heart squeezed a little at hearing what his nightmares consisted of, no doubt Connor's little stunt hadn't helped. That thought made him groan, knowing that his brothers were going to pitch an utter fit when they saw him with a black and swollen eye.

A few more stray tears squeezed out of Allen’s eyes as Sixty refused to get up and take care of his injury. He felt worse the longer he looked up at the damage he had done. 

“I feel terrible for hurting you.” He whispered, turning his face away.

Allen’s head was swimming in guilt, and the thought struck him at the same time as Sixty that the other Stern brothers were going to be furious. And honestly, this time he deserved it. He’d probably let Connor beat him down at this point, because he felt so terrible about continuing to hurt Sixty.

Really hoping Allen got the reference, Sixty grinned.

"Tis but a scratch." He tried to smile but it crinkled his eyes and that hurt so he offered a lopsided one instead. "Want to come to the kitchen with me to clean up a bit? I kind of feel terrible for getting blood on your bed sheets. So we can feel terrible together, sound good?"

He tried so hard to make light of it, to get the stricken look off Allen's face and replace it with a smile.

The reference did manage to get a watery half chuckle out of Allen. He wasn’t laughing, per se, but he was trying. He nodded in response to Sixty’s request, slowly unfolding his limbs and trying to sit up straight without making his head spin.

“I’ll come with you, I’ll just have to go slow.” Allen admitted. He didn’t want to be parted from Sixty right now.

If Sixty's own head wasn't slightly spinning still, he would have offered to cart Allen over in his arms again. However, it was less than safe given their conditions so he silently offered an arm instead.

"We'll keep each other upright. And there's no rush. Want me to make you a warm drink while we're there?"

He carefully wrapped an arm around Allen's waist to steady him, his other hand helping him get an arm around his shoulder. More than content to take it as slowly as needed, they started towards the kitchen.

Allen couldn’t bear how kind Sixty was being even though he had just hit him for no reason. “Only once you’ve gotten something for yourself.” He insisted stubbornly. He didn’t deserve a hot drink yet, even though it sounded amazing.

Carefully, slowly, Allen walked with Sixty into the kitchen, his arm around the other man’s waist. His head spun at first, but after a few moments of walking it got easier. He still felt terrible, but he could stay upright.

There was nowhere comfortable to settle Allen so Sixty did the only thing he could. He pulled his hoodie over his head and popped it on the ground for Allen to sit on. Hopefully the remnants of body heat would help negate the fact he was still sitting on the floor.

"Can't fall lower than that," he mused. The sadly now all too familiar drawer of medicine was within easy reach and Sixty grabbed things for Allen and himself, along with two glasses of water. He crouched next to his boyfriend and held out his share of medication.

"Those to medicate together, stay together."

Allen sat down on the ground, looking the picture of misery. Head down, shoulders slumped, sighing in dejection. “I feel like I might sink into the floor” he admitted glumly. 

The water and pills did make him raise his head, holding out a hand to take the offered glass. “Thanks. Really.” He said, taking the medication and then chugging the water. Once Allen was done drinking though, his attention was back on Sixty.

“Will you let me clean you up? Or at least use the first aid kit in the bathroom?” He pleaded.

To make an ill man work went against everything Sixty believed in. But the way Allen all but begged, as if being allowed to help would earn him salvation from his perceived sins made him waver.

"I would prefer you didn't sink into the floor," he mused. "It would be mighty inconvenient to have to dig you out. But if you could help me clean up the blood and maybe help disinfect the cut, that would be really kind."

Turning towards the bathroom, Sixty found the first aid kit and peered into the mirror. He did not make for a pretty picture. Eye swollen pretty shut and already purpling, it was going to be one heck of a bruise. Looking at it closer, it was the corner of his eye that had split and it made him look like he'd been crying blood. If it had been Halloween, he'd have gotten a kick out of the look.

If Allen had to sit and watch Sixty clean and bandage the wound he had inflicted, he might start crying again. Getting to help him clean up and start to feel better would be a huge weight off Allen’s shoulders. 

Following Sixty into the bathroom slowly, Allen took the first aid kit and gestured for him to sit down on the toilet. “You’ll have to excuse your pipsqueak of a boyfriend, this will make it easier to reach.” He said, attempting to at least not be the biggest bummer on the planet. His hands were steady as they started to gently clean at the blood gathered on Sixty’s skin.

“This will probably sting, and I’m sorry for hurting you even more...” he murmured.

Clucking his tongue in disapproval at the fact Allen had followed him, Sixty shook his head but sat down.

"You know what you're doing, I trust you not to get disinfectant in my eye." He offered Allen what he hoped was an encouraging grin. "And it's okay, don't beat yourself up about it. You're sick, you had a nightmare, it's only natural you got confused, scared, and lashed out."

He tried to hold back on the hiss as the promised sting did indeed hurt. His eyes watered but he forced a smile.

"Don't worry, it's really not that bad. Thank you for doing this for me."

Allen sighed, shoulders slumping further as he continued slowly and carefully disinfecting Sixty’s wound. 

“I know, I just feel terrible that I keep accidentally hurting you. Not only that, but when you were here being so nice to me.” Allen admitted softly. The fact that his brothers were going to kill him was an added damage, but honestly that was pretty far from the top of his mind.

"Says the man who my brother almost killed," Sixty huffed. "We can call it even if that would be of any comfort?"

He tipped his head a little to get a better look at Allen.

"And who was it who dropped everything to come running when I cried down the phone at them? Brought food over and then came back twice more when I was ill? It's not like you've been anything but kind either." That sentence made him pause for a moment. "Why did we ever hate each other in the first place?"

Allen had to admit the truth of Sixty’s words there, and let out a deep sigh before meeting his gaze. “We can call it even once I’ve patched you up and gotten you an ice pack,” he admitted, offering Sixty a weak half smile.

Once the wound was disinfected, Allen grabbed a small bandage and patched it over the wound, asking “This alright? Will this bother you?”

The question made Allen pause as well, tilting his head as he thought. It did seem silly that they had hated each other as little as two weeks ago. “I mean...I think we both had a lot of preconceived notions about each other. I thought you were just a brat, and I’m sure you thought I was a stodgy idiot.” He admitted with a weak chuckle.

The bandage wasn't the most comfortable but Sixty let it slide for now, knowing it would help settle Allen quicker if he felt he could do more.

"I don't know how I seem to manage to encounter your ice packs each time I'm here. Maybe they're haunted and in love with me?" He stood up and tipped Allen's face towards his for a kiss. "Thank you sweetheart. And for the record, I still hate your bike. It's a classless monstrosity."

“I think maybe they’re trying to help me out by getting you to stay here and keep me company.” Allen was managing a much more passable smile as Sixty tipped him in closer for a kiss, and he even laughed softly as they parted.

“I mean, yours is still tacky, what can you do?” He teased back gently, “We’ll both have to get used to it if we’re going to ride together now.”

The fake unimpressed look Sixty gave Allen dissolved into snickering.

"Ride together? And here I thought we were going to ride each other." He started guiding them back to the bedroom with a quick detour to the kitchen for an ice pack.

"You need to get some more sleep. I need to be up in an hour anyway for work, so I'll stay up and keep you safe. Get some rest."

He sat up against the headboard while urging Allen to lie down and press up against his hip.

Allen rolled his eyes hard enough to make himself dizzy, but luckily he had his arm wrapped firmly around Sixty for support. He let himself be guided down into the bed and under the covers, but not without a little bit of protesting. 

“I don’t want to keep you up if you have work in an hour...you can nap on the sofa if you’d like, it would probably be safer.”

There were dumb suggestions, there were idiotic suggestions and even lower on the scale was Allen's suggestion. Pulling the ice pack away from his eye for a moment, Sixty stared at him in disbelief.

"Because I'm going to leave my sick boyfriend feeling sorry for himself in bed while I take a nap that will leave me feeling sick and disoriented on the sofa. How about no? Just be quiet and let the brainy one of us do the thinking while you lie there and look pretty."

Sixty grabbed his phone and pulled up a game, intent on letting Allen snooze for a bit longer and hopefully sleep off his fever.

Allen lowered his eyes, cowed by Sixty's blanket refusal of his offer. He realized he was being a little irrational, but it was hard not to be when he still felt so guilty. "Alright, I'll do my best..." He sighed, letting out a heave as he considered just how  _ not _ pretty he must look right now. Oh well, nothing for it, Allen supposed. 

He leaned up against Sixty and let his eyes drift shut, trying his best to relax and fall back asleep.

A soft smile graced Sixty's lips as he watched Allen finally relent and he carded a finger through his hair.

"Wasn't so hard after all, was it?" he murmured.

An hour later he really did need to get up, he hoped Allen wouldn't mind if he left his nurse outfit behind and borrowed the change of clothes to get home in. He called himself a taxi, but not before leaving some pills with a glass of water on the bedside for Allen and dropping a kiss to his forehead. It felt a little warm but hopefully the worst of it was over.

Allen was out cold sooner than he had thought possible, his body exhausted even if his mind was still stressed over what had happened. His breathing evened out and he fell into a much more relaxing sleep, thankfully nightmare free. Sixty leaving the bed didn't even wake him, and he managed to sleep for hours after he left.

When Allen finally did wake up, he felt significantly better - his head was less fuzzy and he didn't feel like he had much of a fever any more. His throat was still raw, true, but he still managed to take the pills and drink the water Sixty had left him. It felt...nice to look over at the bedside and see that someone had been thinking of him.

Going to work with a black eye had been interesting. Sixty had realized it would have been foolishly dangerous to take his bike when he was effectively half blind. Instead, he took a taxi and took the back entrance to the morgue to avoid as many people as possible.

Hope you're feeling better. I have brotherly bonding night tonight so can't come over. But maybe tomorrow evening, if you're up for a bit of company?

There was no way for him to get out of the evening. Even if he tried to call it off with the excuse of being sick, Connor and Nines would only pile into his house to look after him. At least he could delay the inevitable argument when he revealed his black eye and the reason behind it.

When Allen got the text from Sixty, he wasted little time in shooting back a reply. It was nice to hear from him, even if it was just a text.

tomorrow night sounds great. will give me something to look forward to tomorrow at work ;)

The threat of 'brotherly bonding' didn't escape Allen, and he mentally prepared himself for some sort of attack on his way to work the next day. Somehow though, he made it unscathed and parked his bike in his usual spot, heading inside and hoping for a quiet day. He was feeling better, but still not a hundred percent.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Connor time! Is that good? Is that worrying? Depends on who you ask.
> 
> It is also, dear readers, time for your local bready to make a confession - All the way back in Chapter 4 I announced that the Hankcon companion story had now started to run concurrently to Rev. That is, unfortunately, very incorrect. _This_ is the chapter that runs concurrently with [Chapter 1 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166), as you'll see later on the connection is pretty obvious. I got a bit excited and pulled the trigger early, apologies! I hope you can still enjoy the parallel storylines despite my little stumble, IYNM will be picking up and getting new chapters soon thanks to the fact that we've caught up properly with its timeline now!

Connor was on a warpath. When Sixty had turned up at Nines' apartment with a black eye swollen shut, he'd almost had a fit. The fact Sixty had tried to skirt around who had done it had made it even worse. No explanation, no excuse was going to make him forgive Allen for hurting his brother.

When he got waved through into the SWAT offices, he made no move to hide his ire as he stalked towards the Captain's Office, rapped sharply on the door and let himself in, not bothering to wait to be called.

Allen was sitting at his desk when Connor burst in, trying to work through the paperwork that had piled up in his day long absence. The perks of being a captain, he supposed. He looked up at Connor and immediately resigned himself to whatever fate was coming, deciding to at least pretend to be professional at first.

"What can I do for you, Detective Stern?"

"Drop the Detective Stern bullshit, you and I both know I'm not here for work right now."

He stood in front of the desk and looked over Allen, palms pressed wide into the table as he glared.

"I don't know what kind of fucking game you think you're playing here but you are going to stop right now. My brother is not some punching bag or a rag doll for you to fuck and throw around. If I see you near him again, not even Hank will be able to hold me back from landing your ass in hospital. Are we clear?"

Allen sat and calmly let Connor's abuse wash over him. Part of him felt like he probably deserved to be yelled at a bit. If one of his men was getting beat up by their partner, he'd probably be just as mad. The possessive, protective older brother nature was...somewhat understandable.

What Allen couldn't just sit back and accept though, was the threat to not see Sixty again. "I am legitimately sorry for injuring Sixty like that." Allen admitted with a deep sigh, meeting Connor's gaze sternly, "But I'm not about to promise you anything of that sort. You don't give me orders, and you certainly don't control his life either."

A growl ripped from Connor's throat and he had to hold back from hauling Allen up onto his feet by his collar.

"Listen to me, asshole. I worked domestic and know how lowlife like you work. You already wormed your way into him paying for your piece of shit bike, you now give him a black eye. Next you'll be telling me you guilted him into sex. I will gut you like a fish, I swear."

His chest was heaving with rage and he glared at Allen.

Allen's own jaw was set angrily as Connor continued to threaten him. Yes, he had hurt Sixty and he regretted that, but the accusation that he was some kind of abusive lowlife was enough to make his blood boil. 

"You don't know shit about me or my character, so I'd suggest shutting your damn mouth before you say something we both regret." Allen snapped, "Because unlike you, I like to stay professional when I'm at work." His fists clenched and unclenched angrily as he considered the thought that he would  _ ever _ pressure Sixty into sex.

"I know enough. Captain like you? Probably earns twice what Sixty does yet you still made him pay for falling off your own fucking bike because you didn't know when to quit." Connor seethed. "If I catch you sniffing around my brother, I will do so much worse than drive you off a strip. I think I've made it pretty clear I hate you and I will not tolerate you as part of my family."

“You’re lucky I didn’t write you up for reckless behavior and assault of a fellow officer!” Allen snapped right back, one hand slamming down on the table in a fist, “How dare you bring that bullshit up with me.” 

He bit his lip, remembering Sixty’s plea to go easy on Connor at work, and forced a few deep breaths through his system. He could handle this like a mature adult. He could.

“I won’t be ‘sniffing’ around your brother anytime soon, I intend to take him out on a proper date once we’re both recovered from our colds. So you can jot that down in your day planner for your next planned assault.”

Okay, maybe not.

That was a low blow and Connor glowered with venom. His lip curled up into a snarl.

"You really can't get it through your thick head, can you? Sixty is out of bounds for you. Or you may well find yourself at the restaurant with the wrong brother."

Swapping places with Sixty for the sake of his safety was not beyond Connor. He would have to figure out how to get round Sixty's own stubborn streak and insistence of doing what he wanted, regardless of how good an idea it was.

Allen’s mouth legitimately dropped open at the audacity of Connor’s suggestion. He couldn’t believe just how desperate he was to separate them.

“And you don’t seem to understand that I’m not taking orders from you. You think I wouldn’t recognize that I had the wrong brother across from me? Your foul personality would tip me off if your terrible habits didn’t.” He replied, rolling his eyes and gesturing towards the door.

“You’ve wasted enough of both of our times, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Nobody had dismissed Connor like that before and he couldn't allow for it now. He sneered before his whole demeanour changed to mimic Sixty.

"Oh Fletcher, you ride like such a hapless idiot, I thought you'd be just as sloppy riding cock. I guess practiced whore doesn't make it a lot better though, just the other end of what I don't need."

Satisfied that he'd proven his point and twisted the knife enough, Connor turned towards the door. It was the moment his phone rang with a distinctive ringtone. Turning to look at Allen, Connor picked up with his regular sweetness.

"Hey Sixty, how's your eye? The x-ray showed nothing broken?"

It was taking all of Allen’s considerable self control right now not to either leap across his desk and throttle Connor or write him up for inappropriate behavior towards a superior officer. He didn’t like to pull rank often, but this was borderline offensive. Not to mention dangerous for Connor’s career if he thought this sort of behavior was something he could get away with easily. 

Allen’s jaw was clenched so tight it was shooting pain up into his skull, as he held back the equally as offensive tirade he wanted to lay onto Connor. His impersonation of Sixty was unnerving but still unimpressive - Sixty would never say something like that. A tiny voice in the back of his head reminded him that this sort of behavior was perhaps why he had hated all the Stern brothers in the first place. 

The stab of guilt that ran through Allen as he realized Sixty had gone to the hospital only made him more furious. “Get  _ out _ of my office, before I do something I’ll regret” he hissed, venom dripping from every word.

Tucking the phone between his shoulder and ear, Connor waggled his fingers mockingly and made a broken heart symbol.

"So it will take what, 6 weeks to heal?" He said into the phone. "You're not going to see that brute again, are you?"

Whatever was said in the other end had Connor frowning.

"You can't possibly mean that. No, he first twisted your shoulder, then he let the bike repair go to you, now he fucking cracks your skull. Tell you what, I'll come over this evening and we'll sort this out. I've seen too many things like this at work, next he'll be telling you he loves you while you sit nursing bruised ribs because he got angry but he didn't mean it."

The door closed behind him as he sounded annoyed with a "what do you mean you're busy?"

The obvious dissent from Sixty on the other end of the line had Allen’s mouth twisting up into a vindictive smirk. Clearly, Connor was alone in his accusations and assumptions. It did help settle some of the lingering worry in his chest that maybe his relationship was going to be short-lived after all. 

Allen decided then and there that he wasn’t going to mention this to Sixty. There was no point in adding to his stress, not when he was already hurting and dealing with Connor on top of it all. That didn’t mean that he didn’t spill every annoying detail to Gavin and Hank at lunch though, the frustration making his words tumble out of his mouth.

Gavin was, as expected, explosively angry right away. Allen had to actually calm him down more than himself, lest an actual brawl break out. “I never liked that bastard anyways.” Gavin spat, and for once Hank didn’t look like he was ready to murder him for that kind of comment. He had a deep look of concentration on his face, clearly disturbed by the pattern of behavior from Connor recently. “Be careful, Fletch. We’ve got your back, as always.” Was all he would comment on the matter. 

Allen was still mulling over the incident when he arrived home, all but forgetting the pleasant fact that his boyfriend was going to be visiting him tonight.

The ride over to Allen's house was strangely quiet. Nines had offered to give him a lift but he was tight lipped. No matter how much Sixty pressed Nines wasn't giving away much.

"So you and Connor aren't on talking terms?" he wheedled yet again.

"No, we're not." The answer was clipped, prim and proper. It made Sixty sigh.

"I'm not going to be the go-between again. You need to sort your shit out. Just because I'm the middle child doesn't mean I'm a bridge for you two to shout over."

"I wouldn't want you to do that, not in this case anyway. All you need to do is know that we both love you very much but have different ways of showing it. I drive you to your love interest's house, Connor tries to keep to the background and interfere that way. We disagree with each other's efforts." Nines tapped the steering wheel. "Speaking of love interests, how much does Allen know? Have you told him?"

Sixty stared at his lap and shook his head. Despite having spent some time with Allen, they hadn't really talked all that much. They'd been too busy being ill and recovering from various things, and if they weren't, they were antagonising each other with sex. It made Sixty wonder whether underneath all that, they did actually have anything in common or could have the foundations of a solid relationship. He hoped they would but there was no guarantee and it made him nervous.

"I'll try and tell him this evening. If I can." It was the best he could do.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the wake of Connor's attempts at a break-up, the boys have a bit of a chat: histories are revealed and a Limpet in Chief is appointed

Allen had come home and changed out of his work clothes before fixing himself some dinner. Halfway through he had remembered Sixty’s visit and realized he had no idea if dinner was part of the deal. Just in case, Allen saved a portion that could easily be reheated and then set about cleaning up the apartment as best he could.

As he cleaned, Allen tried not to worry too much about what was going to happen tonight. He knew he had offered to let Sixty show him some new sex thing, but he also kind of hoped they could just spend some time relaxing together. It had been a whirlwind few days, and a bit of normalcy would probably do them both good.

A few more minutes of silence went by and the car pulled up by Allen's house. Sixty's hand was already on the door when he turned to Nines, eyes wide with doubt.

"You don't think I'm doing something stupid, do you?"

It took a moment for Nines to reply, he mulled over his words before shrugging. "If he makes you happy and gives you what you need, then nobody else's opinion matters. Connor tried to pull some similar shit when I started fucking Gavin. It came to a stop the moment I started wearing Gavin's necklace. He'll come round to it, perhaps begrudgingly, but he will settle."

Sixty nodded and left the car with a soft "thanks". He walked towards the now familiar door and knocked, hoping he wouldn't have to climb in through the window this time.

Allen shot up out of his chair as soon as he heard the knock on the door, hurrying towards it. He had a moment of panic where he realized he was just in sweats and a T-shirt - maybe he should have worn something nice? Would that have been too much? 

Nerves boiling, Allen swung the door open quickly to avoid any more overthinking - he had committed, there wasn’t any time to change now. Without him realizing, a fond smile spread across his face as he took in the sight of Sixty standing there in front of him.

“Hey gorgeous.” Also blurted out before he could stop himself, but he didn’t regret it.

The greeting took Sixty by surprise. He felt anything but gorgeous with his swollen eye and he hadn't even dressed too nice.

"Hello yourself, handsome." Behind him, he heard Nines pull away once sure Allen greeted him warmly. "Did you have a nice day?"

Sixty did look disheveled with his black eye, but he was still gorgeous, and he was still here. Stepping back, Allen invited him in as he considered how to reply.

“My day was fine. What about you? Are you feeling alright?” Allen asked, glossing over his own day as quickly as possible and focusing instead on Sixty. Which, honestly, he would have done even if he wasn’t avoiding the topic of his day.

An internal debate warred in Sixty. He could try to hide the truth but if it came out, despite his best efforts it would hurt Allen more than the painful truth here and now. So he tipped his hand.

"So-so. Ended up getting an x-ray and my occipital orbit is fractured. And my brothers don't seem to be talking to each other at the moment - I'm stuck in the middle and feeling like it's somehow my fault. Can't say it's my favourite feeling on earth."

He looked at Allen, a little lost and uncertain of his place in the house. Truthfully, he was tired and all he wanted was to sit down and not get up again, maybe snooze or try lazily making out, but he didn't know quite how to ask for it. Which left him hoping Allen was a mind reader or at least wanted similar things.

Allen’s shoulders slumped slightly as Sixty revealed just how bad he was feeling. It felt good to hear that honesty from him, and know that Sixty felt comfortable sharing, but at the same time it was too bad to hear that his day had been so terrible. 

“I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling bad.” Allen admitted honestly, “I...didn’t have too great of a day either. Do you want to go snuggle up on the sofa and maybe talk about it?” It was a gamble, because he wasn’t sure if his boyfriend was in the mood to be touched right now (or if he even deserved to touch him), but Sixty looked so lost that Allen wanted nothing more than to bundle him up in his arms and try to make things better.

“If you don’t want to, that’s okay. Just tell me whatever will make you feel better, and we can do that.” He added a little hastily, watching Sixty to try and see what he was thinking.

An odd mixture of relief and fond frustration warmed Sixty. It seemed they were both in the same boat of awkward which just wasn't going to do. He may well be setting himself up for more pain but the most simple thing was to walk up to Allen, drop down and picking him up in a fireman's carry. Sixty made a beeline for the bedroom rather than the sofa.

Allen yelped as he was picked up, yelling out “Sixty stop! Put me down, you’re hurt, this isn’t fun!” He was panicking internally, but quelled the urge to kick out and fight for fear of hurting him more. This wasn’t going well already, and he had really just wanted to make Sixty feel better.

The intention had been to make Allen giggle, maybe squeal. However, he sounded like anything but he was having fun and Sixty was putting him down immediately, a little cowed by being yelled at.

"Sorry," he muttered, uncertain why Allen seemed so hung up on being carried around. He was perfectly fine with it the other day. Maybe it was the type of carry? Sixty didn't know and he fidgeted anxiously.

Allen immediately pulled Sixty into the hug he had been wanting in the first place, trying to make his heart calm down. Fuck, he just really wasn’t getting this right, was he? 

“It’s okay, just...you’re already hurt and I don’t want you straining yourself, and you didn’t say anything so...” he tried to explain, but he knew the words were fumbling out of his mouth. “Let’s go slow, okay?”

He couldn't help it, a snort erupted out of Sixty and he pulled a little back from the hug to get a good look at Allen.

"I have a feeling that a few assumptions are being made here. Let me tell you, I can take a lot worse than this and still be functional." He held up a hand to stop Allen from interrupting or getting ahead of things.

"Let me start this. I assumed that you were an unfairly good looking, muscle bound, shallow idiot. Instead, I now know that you're an unfairly good looking, muscle bound, gentle and loving idiot with a weirdly strong sense or what's right and what's wrong that you stick to no matter what. Am I right in my reformed judgement?"

Allen opened his mouth and then shut it as Sixty held up a hand to stop him. Clearly, he was getting used to how much Allen liked to butt in and talk. He couldn’t help it, as his boyfriend continued to talk he could feel himself flushing, his grip tightening and loosening nervously. He felt like a big idiot, and also like he was being flattered far too much.

“I mean. I hope I stick to my convictions. I certainly try.” Allen replied, clearing his throat awkwardly, “As for good looking and loving, well...that’s up to you to judge.” He shot Sixty a shy smile, wondering if he was allowed to take a turn, or if his boyfriend was going to continue talking.

Beaming, Sixty dropped a kiss to the tip of Allen's nose, delighting in the way he was blushing.

"If you keep being yourself like this, I'll be able to say for certain that you're all that and more. But my point is, I think we both had some misconceptions about each other. I promise I'm a lot hardier than I look."

Allen took a few deep breaths and centered himself, looking up and admitting “I’m sorry. I’ve been letting my guilt cloud my judgement and make me treat you like you don’t know what you’re doing. Which, you know your limits, you’re a grown ass man.” 

Wagering another smile, a little more confident this time, Allen lifted his arms up and said “I’m all yours if you want to continue.”

Nothing could stop the grin on Sixty's face as he stepped closer.

"Oh now you want to be carried, I see how it is." Rather than a fireman's carry, Sixty linked this fingers at the back of Allen's thighs and lifted him, encouraging the man to wrap arms and legs around him as he started back towards the bedroom.

"You might weigh as much as the rucksacks we had to run with at camp," he mused.

Allen happily wrapped his legs and arms around Sixty, bumping their foreheads together happily as he was carried. It was still such a novel feeling, and he loved it. Some of the anxiety was starting to bleed out of him, although there were some deeper rooted issues he knew they’d still need to talk about.

“Really? What kind of camp?” Allen asked, his curiosity piqued.

Despite the fact that Sixty had been angling for exactly that question, he still found his throat squeezing to stop the words.

"Well, there are three of us brothers. You didn't think we come from a family who could afford to put all three of us through college at the same time, right?" It wasn't an answer and he knew it. But he wasn't being deliberately difficult, he just needed time to figure it out. Gently, he plopped Allen on the bed and stood back to admire him.

Allen flopped back happily on the mattress, limbs loose and relaxed. There was no pretext, no sexy vibe to give off. He was looking up at Sixty with honest interest and care, listening to what he had to say while not really paying attention to what his body was doing.

It took him a few minutes, but his brain finally filled in the blanks and he asked “You enlisted to get through school?” It made sense, given Sixty’s fearlessness and his surprising strength and agility.

A small, relieved smile graced Sixty's lips.

"Should have known you're smart enough to figure it out. 6 years of college and 6 of service." His dog tags were in his wallet at all times and he toyed with the idea of showing Allen, in case he needed proof to back up his words.

Allen smiled right back, wishing Sixty wasn’t so far away. But sitting up to grab him seemed like a long way to go... “You liked the army? That’s a lot of hard work to be proud of.” He said instead, thinking about Sixty going through med school  _ and _ training

"Like might be a strong word. But it got me through college, paid for all my shit like accommodation, even during holidays. I worked off what I owed them then got out."

Sixty shrugged and decided that he was done with the ceremony of standing, so gracelessly tumbled onto the mattress next to Allen and made him bounce lightly.

Allen grinned as Sixty flopped down next to him, rolling over and snuggling on top of him shamelessly. From his new vantage point he returned the kiss Sixty had planted on his nose earlier.

“I had no idea I was in the presence of a big strong army vet.” He teased pleasantly, “I guess that explains how you’re able to pick me up and carry me around so easily.”

There was zero apology in Sixty's face as he shrugged.

"Some things just stay with you. I can still make a bed in 15 seconds flat to military precision. But that's a skill I tend to neglect. If my bed is ever made, you know I'm in a foul mood."

He squirmed under Allen teasingly, shifting and bucking a little. "Was the bed not comfortable enough for you?"

Allen snorted, replying “I’ll keep that in mind then if I ever come to visit and you’ve done up the bed.” It was weirdly relaxing and pleasant to just learn things about Sixty like this. It made him happy to uncover more layers to his boyfriend.

“You’re far more comfortable” Allen teased right back, pressing a kiss to his jaw. He didn’t mean the gesture sexually, he was just enjoying the feeling of being pressed close.

"You'll just have to help me mess it up again then." Sixty wrapped his arms around Allen. "Guess I'll have to add it to my CV; special skills include: gun shot wound treatment, triaging emergency first aid following an IED and being far more comfortable than a bed."

He turned a little to present more of his jaw and neck to Allen, silently asking for more kisses.

Allen laughed, soft and delighted, and began to pepper kisses along Sixty’s jaw. “You are quite the well rounded professional. I’d hire you any day. Oh wait, I’ve already got you as my boyfriend.” Allen said between kisses, grinning at the way it felt to say that out loud.

The words made Sixty's heart flutter. To hear Allen declare him as his boyfriend filled him with giddy joy which was only heightened by the kisses. It made him laugh and clamp down on his mouth with a hand, trying to silence the ungainly noises.

"So now you know a bit of my past. I guess it's only fair you share something of yours in return? I'm a great believe in returning...favours." For effect, he winked exaggeratedly.

“Only If you stop depriving me of that gorgeous laugh.” Allen retorted, kissing the back of his hand as it rested over his mouth. He thought for a moment, then shrugged.

“I mean, I didn’t do anything super exciting. I worked my way through school doing minimum wage shit, and then I worked through the police academy the same way. If you need a rope climbed, I’m your man.” He said that last part with a returned exaggerated wink.

Nobody had ever called his laugh gorgeous before and Sixty was floored for a moment. In the past, he'd get told to shut up with his braying - even his brothers had winced a couple of times at the sound of it. Stubbornly, he shook his head.

"I'm trying to keep you now, not drive you away."

He had no idea how to respond to the last part, it flew over his head a little. The only thing he knew about rope was how to tie someone up pretty but he didn't know how climbing rope could be related to sex. Instead of asking, he politely nodded and decided to distract Allen by kissing him.

Sure, it wasn’t your typical laugh, but Allen found it charming, just like the rest of Sixty. It was different and authentic, and that was incredibly attractive. But it didn’t seem like the right thing to push right now, so Allen just relaxed and let his boyfriend kiss him.

When they parted he was grinning, saying “Wow, no comment on my incredible storytelling?” Allen was aware he wasn’t great at explaining things, it was something his team often teased him about.

"It was riveting. Your style had a certain flair that had me on the edge of my seat all through it. Perhaps you should tell it again, to make sure I hadn't missed a single detail." He was teasing rather than trying to be mean and to make sure that was clear, he wrapped his limbs around Allen like an octopus. "Uhoh, you're trapped."

Allen laughed, the vibrations echoing through his chest against Sixty’s. “Oh no, whatever will I do?” He faked a few lame attempts at escaping before relaxing and letting his head flop down on Sixty’s collarbone. 

“It seems like I’m stuck here forever!”

The intention had been to rest his cheek against Allen's head and Sixty rolled his head to do just that. He forgot about his bruise and yanked his head away with a surprised "ow" and eyes watering in pain.

"Remind me not to do that again, please," he grumbled, a hand hovering by his eye, wanting to somehow make the pain go away but knowing that touching it would only make it worse.

Allen stiffened when he heard Sixty yelp like that, another surge of guilt washing over him. "Do you want something for the pain? Some meds, an ice pack?" He asked, lifting his head to look at his boyfriend in concern. He could see the tears watering in Sixty's eyes, which told him just how much it must hurt.

"Pain is just weakness leaving the body, don't worry," Sixty smiled through the sharp ache. "To be honest, I have no idea what I was expecting of tonight so I'm kind of flying blind, literally in one eye and metaphorically too."

He sighed and stretched a little, enjoying Allen's weight on him. Speaking of ideas on what to do, he hadn't been on his bike in a little while and he missed riding. He wondered whether Allen would want to take him for a spin.

"Is your bike behaving okay after all the work?"

“I kinda didn’t know either” Allen admitted with a shrug, “Just spending time with you is great though, so I’m not complaining. Every time he was with Sixty it was a wild guess as to how the evening would go, and Allen had to admit he was sort of fond of the excitement that brought.

A flicker of annoyance passed over his face as he thought about Connor’s wild accusations about his bike, but Allen gave Sixty a smile nonetheless as he replied “Yeah, rides like a dream. You’ve got a good mechanic.”

There was a hint of pride in Sixty as he drew himself up.

"Best in town." He grinned. "I'll give you their number if you want, they do all the work I can't, such as paint jobs. If I had been in charge of your bike, I would have given it a purple sheen in certain lights."

That would have been pretty awesome, a nod to their relationship without it being obvious. Maybe it could be something he'd want to consider a little way down the line. Sixty fidgeted a little before biting the bullet.

"Want to show me? I'm not safe to drive and kind of miss it."

Allen raised an eyebrow, at first very against the idea and then realizing that it might actually look great. Not tacky, like Sixty’s bike, but still a little more like meeting in the middle. “Maybe I’ll have to consider that for my next paint job.” He admitted, pressing another kiss to Sixty’s jaw.

The idea of riding together, well, it was something Allen had never considered before, but now it was the best idea he had ever heard. “I’d love to.” He admitted, smiling happily, “you’ll have to borrow some safety gear, but I think you’ll look good in my things.”

The thought of borrowing Allen's gear made Sixty shiver in anticipation. It was like wearing his shirt but somehow it felt so much more intimate to him. 

"I think I'd quite like that." He lightly rubbed the edge of his bruise. "Don’t suppose you have a moped helmet rather than a full face one? I don't think I can pull anything over this."

The admission wasn't pleasant but he didn't bristle so much as acknowledging his weakness now.

Allen considered for a moment before replying “I should still have one somewhere, lemme go find it.” It was a good thing his boyfriend had asked though, since he would have to dig through a few closets to locate it.

Allen went to sit up, then realized Sixty was still clinging to him. “Are you going to let me up though?” He asked, laughing softly.

Humming in mock contemplation, Sixty shook his head.

"Nope," he announced without a hint of remorse. "I'm comfy like this. We can go at midnight, after a snack. Less people will see, so you don't have to worry about your reputation."

It was meant as a joke but, like all trolls, it had a kernel of truth. Just because between the two of them they had giddily declared themselves boyfriends, it didn't mean Allen may want the world to know.

Allen snorted and lifted his head to get a good look at Sixty. “No way, by midnight I expect us to be happily snuggled up together in bed under an obscene amount of blankets. What do I need to do to pacify the limpet?” The last question was teasing, but Allen was willing to play along if it meant getting them out of bed. He didn’t like the idea of riding at night with an injured Sixty.

With a dramatic sigh, Sixty let Allen go and scrunched his nose a little before remembering his bruise.

"Cuddles under an obscene amount of blankets sounds pretty good actually, this pleases the Chief Limpet, no further sacrifice is necessary. Unless you wish to feed him?"

Sixty's stomach was contemplating rumbling but he was pretty confident he could last for a while, maybe he could pester Allen into taking them to a drive through.

Allen sat up, laughing as he looked down at Sixty. “Well it’s no proper dinner date, but if we’re going to be out on the bike I could take you somewhere to eat?” He offered. There was a portion of dinner from earlier left, but that seemed kind of lame now, and Allen wanted to treat Sixty to something that hadn’t been in his fridge all evening.

“You can be my navigator and tell me where to drive for dinner, how’s that sound?” He offered, getting off the bed and holding out a hand to help Sixty up as well.

Now that was an offer Sixty couldn't refuse. He bucked his hips lightly to urge Allen off him.

"I know a little place on the edge of town. How do hotdogs sound?"

Taking Allen's hand, he groaned a little as he got up. Pressing close to Allen, his lips ticked up into an expectant little smile.

"Maybe a kiss to sweeten your deal?" He was pushing his luck but it didn't seem that Allen minded a huge amount for now.

“Sounds fantastic.” Allen said, before leaning up and kissing Sixty sweetly. His one hand came up to cup his boyfriends uninjured cheek, leaving it there even as they parted.

“You don’t need to make any deals to get me to kiss you.” He teased, smiling up at Sixty, “I’ll do that any time, for absolutely free. A little perk of being my boyfriend.” It felt so good to be so close and so relaxed, almost all of the worries from earlier melting away.

That brought up the question Sixty had been pondering earlier. A little shy, he leaned into the hand on his cheek.

"Are we boyfriends just between us? Or is it something other people can know about?"

He knew it was a silly question in a way, it shouldn't matter so much but at the same time, it made all the difference in the world to him.

Allen looked up and saw that serious shyness in Sixty’s face and knew he needed to take this extra seriously. His thumb brushed softly across his cheek as he spoke.

“I’m not the type to make announcements, but I don’t mind if people know. I wouldn’t keep something this nice a secret.” He smiled, then admitted in a somewhat more beleaguered tone that “Everyone in hearing distance of my office today probably at least knows we’re seeing each other, so I hope you’re comfortable with that.”

A slightly confused frown took up residence on Sixty's face. He couldn't fathom why people within hearing range of Allen's office would know about them.

"Why would they know?" He asked in the end. "I didn't phone you so they couldn't have overheard us talking. Did....did you sing to yourself about us dating?" The notion seemed ridiculous but it was the only option he could think of. Imagining Allen humming to himself about them was oddly endearing.

Allen swallowed hard as he realised what he would now have to explain. He really wished he hadn’t brought this up. His damn mouth got him in trouble so often with Sixty, in more ways than one.

“Well.” He said carefully, “You mentioned that Nines and Connor aren’t speaking to each other? I think that might be related to the fact that Connor paid me a visit at work today.”

Paling at that Sixty cursed under his breath.

"I swear I am going to gut that meddling brat," he hissed. "Because I'm guessing it wasn't a polite or even pleasant visit."

One look at Allen's face and he knew everything he needed to.

"I can only apologise for my brother." He took a deep breath, knowing he was going to regret saying this. "What he has done recently is wrong and absolutely out of character for him. However, if you want to press charges, file a complaint or have nothing to do with me or my family again, I would completely understand that."

Allen shook his head, hand moving to grip Sixty’s shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. He was really starting to hate how Sixty assumed that any flaw his brothers had meant he was inherently unwantable. That would be like judging Allen on Gavin’s terrible taste, which he would absolutely not appreciate.

“Sixty, this isn’t about you. This is about Connor being an ass, but I handled it. He’s going through something, clearly, because I’ve never heard him be so unprofessional.” Allen explained, “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to date you. I told him that, point blank, and I’ll say it as many times to any of you as I have to.”

"The thing is, we're kind of a package deal. We don't leave each other behind." That was all Sixty could say on the matter. "We stick up for each other and have each other's backs. And if I am made to choose, I will always choose my family, no matter how much that decision might hurt."

He hoped Allen understood. There was nobody who could drive a wedge between them, not even love. Sixty knew that if he ever had to pick between his brothers and a lover, it would always be family first. Even if they were utter shit stirring idiots at times. He wondered what the hell was up with Connor though, it was out of line and character for him to be so stunningly stupid. He'd text Nines when he had a chance to try and figure it out.

Allen hummed thoughtfully, admitting “I can’t say I understand, because I don’t know what it feels like to be that close with my family.” He hesitated, a sudden fear stirring in his chest as he asked “So are you trying to tell me that if Connor sat you down and explained why he didn’t like me, you’d break up with me?” 

The accusations Connor had been leveling were pretty brutal, and if it was his word against Allen’s...

Shaking his head adamantly, Sixty tried to backtrack.

"I would listen. I would argue if he was wrong. And Nines would be a voice of reason too. If Connor says jump, I do not blindly jump."

He reached for Allen without quite realising it, wrapping a hand around his bicep as if trying to keep him close, so he wouldn't lose him when Sixty had just found him.

The touch and the answer both were reassuring, and Allen relaxed slightly. “Okay, I believe you. And I’ll try not to do anything that would ever put me at legitimate odds with your family.” If he treated Sixty right, the way he wanted, Allen hoped that the brothers would warm up to him eventually.

The tension eased a little and Sixty tipped their foreheads together.

"Somehow, I don't think you ever meant to cause any real trouble. Just a cheeky hooligan." He smiled gently. "So, about those hotdogs?"

Allen smiled back at the release of tension, leaning up and planting a quick smooch on Sixty’s lips before stepping back. 

“Let me get you that gear, then we’ll head out for hotdogs.” He said, heading to the closet to start rummaging around. It took him a few minutes, but Sixty was eventually all kitted out in biking gear and a slightly dusty moped helmet.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys go out for hotdogs, and if you're expecting there to be a lot of bad innuendo then you have absolutely come to the right place!!

Somehow, Sixty had thought that getting on a bike other than his would feel like a betrayal. Especially when it was a bike like Allen's monstrosity. Instead, he settled behind his boyfriend, wrapped his arms around his waist and felt very much at home. The wind whipped pleasantly against his face, cool on the bruise and Sixty closed his eyes to the sensations.

He had given Allen instructions on how to get to the hotdog place, so all he had to do was hold on and enjoy himself for the ride.

Allen had only ever driven anyone else on his bike during emergency situations - someone got hurt or someone was too drunk to actually drive. The feeling of Sixty happily wrapping his arms around his waist like that was pleasant enough to get Allen's heart pounding. He found himself smiling behind the visor of his helmet.

As they drove to the hotdog shop, Allen kept the bike controlled and safe, but he made sure they got up to at least a fun speed once or twice. No sense in riding if you didn't taste some wind once in a while.

The one thing Sixty was missing was seeing Allen's expression as they rode. There was something undeniably sexy about Allen on his bike and Sixty craved more now that he allowed himself to actually admit that there was an attraction there.

As they parked up, Sixty hopped off with as wide a grin as his bruise would allow. Gallantly, he offered Allen a hand to help him off too.

"So, have you ever had a hotdog so big, it didn't fit in your mouth no matter what?"

Allen always felt re-energized after a ride, and it seemed like that feeling was all the better for having Sixty on the back of his bike. He swung out of the seat, clasping Sixty’s hand and using the other to pull his helmet off. He emerged grinning, hair slightly disheveled as always thanks to the tight fit.

“I can’t say I’ve ever met a hotdog I couldn’t manage somehow” He teased with a wink.

That was a challenge which Sixty took great glee in.

"Well, I've seen how well your mouth works, guess it will be given an even better workout." He winked and reached to smooth back Allen's hair from its ruffled appearance.

Allen laughed, letting Sixty fix his hair and then offering his arm to enter the restaurant. “I look forward to the challenge. Why don’t you order for us?”

The reply about usually having to share one with Connor whenever they went there dried in Sixty's throat as he remembered that his twin had been an ass of epic proportions recently. Rather than reply, he accepted the offered arm and led them in.

"Anything you don't like as a topping? They're big enough to actually share one. Usually, cheese, onion, bacon, pickles and ketchup are a good combo."

His hand slipped into his pocket and fiddled with his wallet.

Allen hummed thoughtfully, looking around and taking in the fun, diner-like atmosphere they had stepped into. 

“I’m a mustard kinda guy, but I don’t have a problem with any of the toppings you listed.” He replied, “I’ll trust you on this one, since this is your spot, after all.” The last statement was ended with a pleasant little wink.

Sixty's eyes sparkled at an idea.

"Half mustard, half ketchup? Although mixing the two sounds oddly appealing. I might just do that."

He was marching to the counter and putting in an order, realising he'd forgotten the most important thing. He turned as he leaned on the counter, hips pressed out.

"You're bound to be thirsty after this. What drink did you want?"

Allen grinned and followed Sixty on his warpath to the counter, similarly leaning on it as he waited and watched. “A mix sounds great. And for a drink...” his eyes drifted up to the menu above them, scrutinizing the offerings. Something caught his eye at the last minute and he asked “Want to split a milkshake?”

Sharing a drink hadn't ever been something Sixty had done. He felt a little like a greedy gremlin being asked to hand over half of his hoard. Still, he was going to try and share.

"As long as we get one as vanilla as your sex life," he quipped and ignored the choking sound from the other side of the counter where the cashier was slowly dying.

Allen thought the idea of sharing a milkshake sounded terribly romantic, so it was probably something Sixty would secretly really love. Well, and he would too, in all fairness. 

That comment made Allen choke a little as well, and he had to fight the urge to bluster awkwardly. His cheeks were pink, he could feel it, and that was the worst. Clearing his throat, he rolled his eyes and retorted “Sure, nothing wrong with a classic.”

It wasn’t that he was offended, or particularly squeamish. It just...wasn’t the type of thing Allen regularly joked about in public, so it caught him off guard.

Leaning closer, shoulders bumping, Sixty whispered softly in his ear.

"I'll show you a classic after food."

He bumped Allen with his hip and passed the cashier his card, gleeful at being able to treat his boyfriend. It was only fair, he provided the ride so Sixty got the food.

Allen could only do his best to keep the blush down - what he wanted to do was lean in and kiss Sixty to shut him up, but that might actually kill the cashier for real. Instead he just subtly reached behind and gave his boyfriend's ass a nice squeeze.

"Thanks for the treat then, both now and later."

The squeeze was most unexpected but definitely welcome. Shamelessly, Sixty shimmied closer and wrapped an arm around Allen to guide him to a table.

He didn't give much choice for where to sit, once Allen chose a side, he was sliding along the bench seat next to him, jamming their shoulders together. On a whim, he put an arm around Allen instead.

"Is this okay?" After a beat, he added, "I'm sorry if the vanilla joke made you uncomfortable."

Allen wasn’t surprised when Sixty chose to squeeze in close like that, and he happily leaned up against him. He fit nicely against the taller man, and surprisingly he wasn’t too put out by the height difference being so obvious. 

“This is more than okay.” Allen replied, patting Sixty happily on the thigh and shooting him a smile. “As for the vanilla joke, well, that was okay too, I’m just not used to that kind of talk in public.”

"I can dial down those jokes in public, sorry." Sixty pressed his nose against Allen's temple. He sighed happily, enjoying the moment and let his eyes slip shut.

They only opened again when he heard the approach of someone with what he hoped was their food. He wasn't disappointed when he glanced over and quickly looked to Allen to see his reaction when he first saw what they were dealing with.

Allen just smiled and relaxed into the touch, his hand staying comfortably on Sixty’s thigh. “Sounds good.” He murmured.

By the time the food arrived, Allen had sort of forgotten that it was supposed to be giant. So his eyes did widen somewhat comically at the sight of that hotdog with all its toppings, not to mention the milkshake.

Grinning, Sixty shimmied in his seat in excitement. This was better than he'd hoped for.

"If you think you need one to yourself, just let me know." He was teasing but enjoying himself immensely. Especially the way Allen fit under his arm so beautifully.

The milkshake was put between them, two straws poking out of it. Keen to have Allen enjoy himself too, Sixty nudged it towards him.

Allen laughed, replying “My mouth is big, but not that big. I think sharing is gonna be great.” Now that he was looking at the hotdog, he understood all of Sixty’s jokes. 

“Besides, I’ve got to save room in my mouth for something later, right?”

Allen hastily ducked down to sip the milkshake, filling his mouth with vanilla ice cream to stop any other dumb comments from escaping.

A small giggle erupted from Sixty and he leaned closer to Allen to whisper quietly in his ear.

"You know, there's always the cliches of leaning on a bike while getting blown. I think your bike is sturdy enough for that. Or to have someone bent over it. And the car park is pretty dark."

He left the suggestion hanging and picked up the hotdog knowing full well there was going to be nothing sexy about taking a bite from it.

Allen raised an eyebrow at the suggestion - wouldn’t be the first time they had messed around in a semi-public place, surprisingly. That alley the first night hadn’t been super pleasant though, so maybe it was time to make better memories.

As an answer Allen simply squeezed his thigh suggestively, before taking another sip of the amazing milkshake. “Good?” He asked as Sixty took a big old bite of the hotdog.

Humming in satisfaction, Sixty decided to try a new type of joke.

"The wurst."

Ketchup and mustard were smeared across his cheek and he offered the hotdog to Allen. He could start at the other end or continue where Sixty had left off.

Allen took a moment then groaned as he rolled his eyes. A cross language pun was almost impressive. Almost. He leaned in and took a bite from the opposite end, meaning to make a joke about Lady and the Tramp, and then...

Made a rather unfortunate half moan at how good that tasted. It was just a junk food hot dog but like...a really amazing one.

The sound Allen made did all sorts of things to Sixty and he squirmed a little.

"Should I be worried about competition for best sausage here?"

He wiped at his face and took an innocent looking sip of the milkshake, grateful for having tasted it before so he didn't make any noises himself.

Allen swallowed before he laughed, luckily, so he didn’t choke. “Maybe. Maybe you’ll just have to jog my memory again later.” He replied, too pleased with the taste of this hot dog to be worried about a little innuendo in public.

They passed the hot dog back and forth and Sixty found it so warming that he almost forgot to do much other than eat and watch Allen. When he realised there was some mustard smeared on Allen's cheek, he didn't hesitate in swiping it off with his thumb.

"Messy," he chastised. "Might have to teach you how to eat a hot dog properly."

He absolutely was not talking about hot dogs.

Allen hadn’t realized he was starving until he started eating, so his focus was almost entirely on the hot dog. He was pulled out of his food daze by Sixty’s soft fingers on his chin, and he shot him a grateful little smirk.

“I dunno, I like it kinda messy.”

That smirk just had to be kissed off Allen's face. Not caring about sauces on faces or hot dog in hands, Sixty made sure Allen was turned towards him before dipping down to kiss him senseless.

Allen let out a surprised squeak, but he happily melted into the kiss. He was chuckling happily as they parted, looking up at Sixty and commenting “I don’t need dessert after that sweetness.”

All the shifting around had managed to work Sixty's wallet out of his pocket and it fell to the ground with a soft thwap.

Reaching for it, Sixty pulled it up and huffed at how the chain spilled out from it. He toyed with it for a moment, contemplating whether he showed Allen.

Allen looked over curiously when he heard the thump, commenting “Don’t lose your wallet, that’s important.” He didn’t think much more of it though, focusing his attention back on finishing off the milkshake.

A pout formed on Sixty's lips as the last of the milkshake disappeared. That was a good milkshake. He was half tempted to order another one.

However, as he looked over at Allen, his mind drifted. The way his eyes slid over the chain but didn't even seem to think twice about it. Most people would be pressing for more information at that point, making Sixty feel put on the spot and self-conscious. Mind made up, he pulled the chain and the dogtags popped out with ease. For a moment, he held them in his palm, staring at the numbers and name before holding them out to Allen without a word.

Allen wasn’t the type to pry, he did enough of that at his job. Whatever Sixty had in his wallet was his business, unless they were condoms, in which case they could share.

When the dog tags were handed over, Allen did sit up and pay attention, noticing the change in attitude and atmosphere suddenly. He very carefully took them from Sixty’s hand, turning them over and admiring the name engraved there before looking back up at his boyfriend. “These must be pretty important to you, huh?”

A small nod was all Sixty could muster up. He wasn't sure he could explain how that, along with his tattoos were such a large part of his history. They reminded him of everything he had lived through, grounded him and were a testament to his ability to make it through almost any situation, no matter how dire. But the dog tags also served as memory of what lengths he would go to, just to keep himself safe. Though safe was a relative term when getting the army to pay for your education in exchange for a handful of years with them was the seemingly safer option.

"They look better in your hands than mine, keep them," he managed to make it sound nonchalant and he made to turn away, not sure he could handle Allen's reaction, whatever it may be.

The weight of the metal in his hands made Allen think of the weight of the history behind them. There had to be quite a story behind this, and he hoped that one day Sixty would feel comfortable enough with him to share it. 

That was a new, unexpected side effect of their new relationship - Allen often found himself wanting to be closer to Sixty, but in more of an emotional sense. The physical was easy, but when his boyfriend was open and vulnerable...that meant he was trusted, and that warmed his heart in a new and exciting way.

"Are you sure?" Allen asked, glancing over at Sixty, then closing his hand over the tags, "I'll take good care of them. Promise."

Waving a hand, Sixty tried to make it seem like it was absolutely not a big deal. He was saved by his phone and he rolled his eyes with a mumbled apology as he picked up.

"What do you want, Connor?" There wasn't much warmth to his voice, annoyed that his brother had paid his boyfriend a visit and been a bit of a menace and a pest recently.

Allen raised an eyebrow at the sudden call from Connor, similarly displeased that their nice date was being interrupted by this particular menace. It was hard not to think of Connor as a menace after the past few weeks, which was a shame. He was a good colleague. 

Struck by a sudden hit of inspiration, Allen swept the chains over his head and let the tags hang around his neck. He tapped Sixty's arm to catch his attention, then tucked them carefully inside his shirt.

Whatever Sixty was going to snap to Connor's half assed apology dried in his throat as he watched his dog tags disappear into Allen's shirt.

"We'll talk about this later, Con, I'm busy right now."

He tucked the phone into his pocket, eyes dark as he watched Allen pat his shirt down. There were no words Sixty could use to summarise his emotions, so he did the easiest thing he could. He yanked Allen close by the shirt and mashed their lips together in a messy kiss.

Allen certainly hadn’t been expecting that kind of reaction from Sixty. Maybe some shy gratitude, maybe a quick peck on the cheek. Not this kind of passionate kiss, with obvious desire behind it. 

Allen melted into the kiss happily, letting Sixty control what happened. He was never taking these off at this rate. Not if they caused this much of a response from his boyfriend.

"To the bike, now," he gasped against Allen's lips. The food and drink were finished, there was nothing else to hang around for and he had better things to do than sit around. Grabbing Allen's hand, he was pulling him out of the building before he even got agreement from him.

Allen was more than happy to follow Sixty’s lead - he didn’t want to escalate this makeout session any further while they were inside the restaurant. Once they were outside in the parking lot, Allen grabbed Sixty by the shirt and pulled him down for another kiss, murmuring “Eager, are we?”

Words continued to elude Sixty, so he did the next best thing. He pressed Allen up against the bike and dropped to his knees, hands darting out to unzip his trousers.

Allen leaned back against the bike, hands anchoring themselves on the seat as he watched sixty work eagerly. “Oh fuck...you look so good on your knees” he purred.

A sudden thought struck Allen and he added “hey, Sixty, I don’t know if I have a condom...”

"Just as well my wallet holds more than my dogtags and money," Sixty grinned and showed off the little foil packet he had palmed.

Not bothering to say much more, he gripped Allen's cock firmly and gave it a few strokes to get it fully hard before rolling the condom on with a triumphant smirk. Making sure he kept eye contact, Sixty oh so slowly opened his mouth and worked his lips around the head of Allen's cock.

If Allen had wanted to say anything clever about Sixty and his wallet, those thoughts were very much blasted out of his head by the sensations on his cock and the stunning view. 

“Fuck, baby, you’re doing so good.” Allen murmured, feeling his cock twitch in Sixty’s mouth. His hands gripped at the bike and he widened his stance, thanking his lucky stars that the bike had a good sturdy kickstand.

The praise was like a warm blanket that settled around Sixty's mind. He blinked up at Allen as he tried to remember all that he had guided him through when giving a blowjob. Relaxing his jaw as much as possible, he took Allen deeper, all while keeping his eyes turned to Allen's face as much as possible.

Allen was torn - he wanted to be loud because Sixty was doing a good job and he should know it, but he also didn’t want to alert anyone in this dark parking lot that he was getting his dick sucked. He settled on putting one hand on Sixty’s head to pet at him whenever he did well, soft sighs and bitten off moans escaping whenever he did something particularly nice.

Even though the praises stopped, the hand on Sixty's head and the bitten off noises kept him on track. Slowly, his eyes slipped shut and he allowed himself to stop thinking in favour of focusing on Allen's pleasure.

As Sixty began to settle into a proper rhythm, Allen found it harder and harder not to rock his hips into the motion. His hand on Sixty’s hair trembled, and he managed to choke out a soft “Just like that, I’m getting close”

Spurred on by Allen's pleasure, Sixty pressed a palm to his own crotch, giving himself something to rock against. He whined at how close he was too. A few more thrusts, Allen telling him he was doing good and it could well have been him making a mess in his pants for a change. However, he held back, desperate for Allen's permission and also to see him come undone thanks to Sixty's mouth.

The sound and vibration of that whine were heavenly, and Allen moaned softly as he squeezed the seat of his bike for stability. He thought very briefly about how often and how easily he kept coming under Sixty’s ministrations, and maybe he should be embarrassed? But there had been no barbs or jibes about it lately so...

Allen tipped his head back and let go, pleasure shocking up his spine and tingling through his whole body. He may have let out a garbled exclamation of Sixty’s name as he came, he wasn’t altogether sure. The hand in his hair tightened almost cruelly though, without him realizing.

The pleasure of making Allen come so quickly was overshadowed by the hand in Sixty's hair tightening hard. It hurt and he was twisting out from under Allen's hand, falling onto his backside in his haste to get away from the pain and the hold.

Chest heaving, Sixty looked up at Allen with wide eyes. He knew it wasn't the same, that he hadn't meant to hurt him but the knee jerk reaction just couldn't be helped.

The first word out of his mouth was "sorry" even as he tried not to cower.

Allen was hazy with pleasure, but the sight of Sixty falling away from him in fear was enough to cut through that feeling like a knife. His legs were already shaking so it was easy to slide down onto his knees, holding his hands out palms out in an instinctive gesture. “Sixty what’s wrong? I’m sorry, tell me what I did.” He soothed, forcing his slightly wobbly voice to stay low and soft.

Taking a few steadying breaths, Sixty shook his head.

"Nothing. Nothing." He was trying to convince himself more than Allen. "Just pulled my hair a bit too hard."

Forcing himself to push through the fear and to make himself understand that Allen hadn't meant to hurt him, wasn't going to throw him into the cupboard by his hair as punishment for not getting top grades in his class (that honor went to Connor), Sixty reached for the offered hand and gave a wobbly smile.

Allen frowned worriedly, taking Sixty's hand gently and squeezing it ever so slightly. "I'm really sorry, I didn't know you didn't like that. I won't do it again, promise." Clearly, there was something deeper going on here, but this didn't seem like the time or place to pry.

"I'm right here, and I'm not going to hurt you. You're okay."

"You couldn't have known. It's not your fault." Now that the initial fear was gone, Sixty was left trembling a little. To distract himself and Allen, he cast a look around and smiled as he spotted the soiled condom hanging sadly from Allen's cock.

"It's going to drop," he giggled and, sure enough, with a small splat the condom fell to the ground.

Allen pulled a face, groaning as he felt it slip off his cock. "Disgusting." He complained, "Now I'm gonna have to find a garbage can that no one from inside the restaurant can see." 

With his free hand, Allen tucked himself back into his pants and zipped up, saying "Come on, let's go back to my place. I'll let you pick out your reward for being so incredible."

Before Allen could grab the condom, Sixty picked it up between two fingers and marched to the dumpster just off to the side of the restaurant. If anybody saw, he didn't care. It also gave him a few moments of a fair distance between him and Allen, just enough to smooth over his slightly frayed nerves. Returning, he offered a shy smile.

"You sure you want to reward a freakout over something so silly as hair pulling?"

Allen was honestly relieved when Sixty decided to take care of the condom, because it gave him a moment to pull himself together. His body really hadn't appreciated the way he cut his orgasm short like that, and the adrenaline mixed with endorphins was making him feel a little weird. But by the time Sixty returned, Allen was upright and smiling back at him, offering the bike helmet up.

"Hey, you can't discount the amazing orgasm you gave me right before that." Allen insisted, "And if something upsets you it's not silly anyways."

Nobody had ever shrugged off Sixty's freakouts like that before. They weren't brushed under the carpet to be forgotten about but neither was he being pressed about them. He made a silent vow to make up for the probably ruined orgasm. If he got to pick his so-called reward, it was going to be being allowed to treat Allen to another round.

"Are you okay to ride? Or do you need another minute?" he asked as he put the helmet on.

They were definitely going to talk about what else might potentially cause Sixty to freak out like that, but Allen figured that could wait until tomorrow. No sense ruining the evening when they were already both recovering from bad days.

He nodded, replying "Yeah, it's not that far. And I get to sit, so shaky legs shouldn't be a problem." Allen winked once before pulling his own helmet on and swinging onto the bike, inviting Sixty to join him.

Hopping on, Sixty held onto the bar of the seat behind him rather than Allen, needing a little longer to himself than he'd realised. Once comfortable, he leaned forward to hold onto Allen but didn't lay his head on his shoulder like on the way in.

It was weird how something so small as having his hair pulled could bring up so many memories and emotional turmoil. Made him wonder whether Connor was having similar thoughts and that was why he was acting out.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Determined to see things right, Sixty introduces Allen to the world of shibari and BDSM

Allen was very aware of the change in Sixty's body language, and made a mental note to maybe take the rest of the night a bit easier. As much as he would love to treat Sixty and make him lose some of this tension, he didn't want to push and make him uncomfortable or panicked. 

Pulling up into his driveway, Allen cut the engine and sat for a moment, giving Sixty time to get off the bike first.

Clambering off, Sixty took a steadying breath and offered the helmet back to Allen with a small smile.

"I had a really nice time tonight," he began, "sorry for once again adding drama to it with a mini freakout. You sure you want me to come in?"

He was fully prepared to call himself a taxi and head home, wouldn't have even blamed Allen. The more he thought about it, the more he realised he was nothing but trouble and it was not a pleasant thing to become aware of.

Allen pulled his own helmet off and took Sixty’s, getting to his feet after a small moment to make sure he wouldn’t just tip over.

“Of course I want you to come in.” He insisted, a small frown creasing his brows, “Why would I send you away just because  _ I _ did something that scared you? If anything I should ask if you’re comfortable staying the night. We don’t have to do anything else sexual.”

It wasn't that Sixty didn't want anything sexual, he felt like he owed it to Allen but also wanted it for himself.

"I just feel like I've been nothing but drama and problems for you." Admitting it hurt. "For a virgin without even an ex, I sure as hell come with a lot of baggage."

Allen leaned in and pulled Sixty close in a sort of one armed half hug. “Hey, don’t worry about that. We’ve all got our baggage, and you haven’t been ‘nothing but problems’.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Sixty’s head, adding “You’ve brought a lot of good things into my life so far too.”

It was tempting to sarcastically list off the aggressive brother, the cold and injuries amongst other things but Sixty held his tongue. He'd had the impression Allen hadn't liked it when he got like that.

"For the record, despite appearances, the time I've spent with you has been some of the most content moments I've had."

He let Allen steer him towards the house, pressing into his side as much as their walking allowed.

“When I haven’t been getting you injured, right?” Allen teased gently. He guided Sixty inside, keeping him close. Once they were firmly inside and he could set their helmets down, Allen wrapped Sixty into a proper hug, grinning up at him.

“So, what shall we do?”

A glance to his bag betrayed Sixty's thoughts. After all, Allen had asked him to show him something he enjoyed.

"I think you're owed a proper orgasm with the right amount of cuddling afterwards without the freaking out."

The question was, was Allen ready for another round?

Allen considered for the briefest of moments, then nodded. “I’d like that.” He admitted, then added “But only if I get to return the favor.” 

Allen had a feeling this was going to be an exciting orgasm, and he couldn’t help but shiver in anticipation.

A hesitant nod left Sixty, he wasn't convinced Allen would be more than an incoherent puddle of post coital bliss after he was done with him. He kind of hoped he wouldn't be.

"Do you have anything you really don't want? So I don't do anything to make you uncomfortable. I can show you the toys I've brought over so you can veto any, no judgement or questions asked."

He was reaching for his bag, hefting it up and walking towards the table. It felt too intimate to do such a thing in the bedroom, almost a subliminal messaging kind of thing.

Even if Allen had to wait until tomorrow morning to get there, he was determined to make Sixty feel good too. For now though, he was willing to play along and let his boyfriend feel in control.

"Like I said before, I won't have too much experience with toys, so you'll just have to walk me through what each one does. Then I can give you a verdict." Allen offered with a smile, walking over to stand by Sixty at the table and watch as he unpacked his wares.

A few items were carefully laid out for Allen's inspection. A bundle of soft rope if he wanted to be tied up. A set of smaller anal beads that were soft and flexible, even as they gradually got larger. Next to that was a modestly sized vibrating plug. All of them perfect for a beginner to anal play.

"Have a look at them, feel them. Ask any questions you have."

Giving Allen the appearance of privacy, he rummaged around in his bag and pulled out some lube and some wipes for before and after using the toys.

Allen trailed his fingers curiously across the proffered toys, picking up the plug and hefting it in his hand. These weren’t anything  _ too _ wild, but it was still enough to get the beginnings of excited arousal thrumming under his skin.

“The rope...how do you use it?” He finally asked, clearing his throat somewhat awkwardly. The thought of getting tied up was weirdly exciting.

Surprise made Sixty's breath hitch. He hadn't expected Allen to go for the rope.

"There are several ways. I could tie you to the bed and restrict your movement. Or tie you into a harness which could be just for aesthetics or restriction too. It's up to you and what you're comfortable with. And you can combine the rope with other toys too."

He tried to keep the excitement out of his voice.

Allen weighed the possibilities in his mind, eventually replying "I'm not sure if I want to start with tied to the bed  _ and _ another toy...Maybe just tied up a little and one of these?" He didn't know how he would react to being completely restricted, but he trusted Sixty to guide him through it.

"Do you have a preference for which one of these we start with?" He asked, gesturing to the two toys that were clearly meant to go up his ass.

It was the perfect combination. Sixty had to hold back a purr of contentment and excitement at the prospect.

"The beads are probably better, we can stop at whichever size you want and leave them there while I spoil you. And I have the perfect harness in mind to show off your muscles."

He rose from the table and softly kissed Allen.

"If at any point you're not comfortable or want to stop, just say the word. I'll look after you."

Allen smiled into the kiss, unable to stop the flush that was already rising at the prospect of being at Sixty's mercy. This was all new territory, so a part of him was naturally nervous. But he trusted his boyfriend, and that newly discovered part of his brain wanted to be a very good boy for him.

Standing as well, Allen asked "Um, what word? Do we need to agree on one together?" He had seen that much in his research, but wanted to be sure instead of making assumptions.

It took a moment for Sixty to cotton on to what Allen was saying.

"We can have a safe word. Usually, stop works just fine along with the colours system of checking in, but if you want a specific word, what would be something you'd remember and could say when stressed?"

He waited patiently for Allen to mull it over.

When asked to actually come up with a safe word, Allen paused slightly. It took him a few minutes, but finally he chuckled, replying "Tent? Is that acceptable?" It was certainly a word that filled him with dread, and short enough he would be able to remember it under pressure.

"We can just do that stop thing too, I just thought I'd ask." Allen added sheepishly.

'Tent' was short, sharp and easy to remember. It made Sixty wonder whether there was a story behind it, so he asked.

"It is more than acceptable. Say that, stop or red at a check in and all play will stop. No grumbling or whining about having to put a halt on things. I'll get you out and do what you need to get you back on an even keel. Sound good?"

Allen replied "Yeah, there are many very unsexy stories about me failing to pitch a real actual tent whenever the police academy did outdoor training. Not the type of story I should probably tell now, but if you need a laugh later..." He winked.

"Lead the way, I trust you." Allen said, taking Sixty's hand and tugging him towards the bedroom.

The explanation had Sixty chortling away a little. Tents were something he happened to be pretty decent at.

"Don't worry, stick around with me and I'll set up all your tents. There was one time we were in-" he stopped off, realising he couldn't really talk about that, "-somewhere, anyway, we needed tents and one was broken. So we had to improvise and the shelter we built was better than the tents we had with us."

Rather than keep talking, he let himself be pulled towards the bedroom and a small wave of excitement washed through him. If he could get Allen to let go and sink into a headspace that allowed him to purely focus on pleasure, he was in for a great time.

"Usually, ropes are tied against naked skin and the beads can't really be used with underwear on unless it's a pretty specific kind. Do you want us both naked or just you?" He thought it was only polite to offer. Though the idea of Sixty being dressed while Allen was nude leant itself to interesting power dynamics.

Allen definitely wanted to hear more about this tent story, but later. When Sixty wasn’t holding a bundle of rope and anal beads in his hands. Leaning up on tiptoes, he pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s lips and grinned up at him. “You’ll have to tell me all about this tent pitching later, okay?”

When asked about being naked, Allen wasted very little time, stripping off his shirt instinctively as he pondered the rest of the question. “I mean, I’ve never done the whole ‘one person dressed and the other not’ thing. But it sounds kinda hot...” He definitely planned on getting Sixty out of his clothes eventually though. Or at least the ones that mattered.

While Sixty wasn't wearing the best clothes for it, he was definitely willing to give it a try. Next time, he would dress a bit better than jeans and a tight t-shirt. Somehow, a suit seemed like a fitting contrast. His eyes raked over Allen's bare chest appreciatively and he stepped closer.

"Get naked and kneel on the bed for me while I get a few things ready." His voice was soft and firm, leaving no room for disagreement while keeping low and warm.

Allen nodded and did as Sixty asked, his hands fumbling slightly at his belt buckle in the excitement of the moment. The sound of Sixty’s voice like this was enough to start blood heading south, so by the time Allen was kneeling on the bed he was already on the way to being half hard.

“I can keep these on, right?” He asked, shaking his head a little to let the dog tags jingle against his chest.

The sight of the dogtags almost had Sixty breaking out of the space they were creating, his heart thumped heavily in his chest. For the shibari though, they would have to come off.

With a small shake of his head, he reached for the chain, "I'll keep them safe for you and give them back when we're done."

With that promise, he ran a gentle hand down Allen's cheek and to his chest.

"So gorgeous. You're going to look stunning in my rope and taking my beads."

He reached for the length of rope and set to work on the first knot.

Allen hummed softly in disappointment, but he would follow Sixty’s lead on this. That look on his boyfriend’s face was worth it though - Allen was clearly having an effect on him and he loved it.

Allen flushed softly at the praise, leaning into Sixty’s touch happily. “I can’t wait.” He murmured, watching carefully as those deft fingers began twisting knots into the rope.

The familiarity of the knots and the rope helped settle Sixty into the moment. While it was different, making the harness for someone else, it was no less intoxicating.

"If it's tight, uncomfortable or just stops being fun, it comes off. I can cut it off you if it needs to be done quickly, okay?" he murmured against Allen's ear as he began to wrap the rope around him, making the rope follow the outline of his muscles in places. Delicately, he looped it around his wrists with enough give to make it comfortably restrictive.

"You look stunning like this. Like you belong in an art museum."

Allen nodded, but stayed quiet for the rest of the process, letting himself focus on the feeling of the rope and Sixty’s hands on his skin. It was just as incredible a feeling as he had thought, the gentle pressure making his whole body seem vulnerable and sensitive. Not to mention the fact that he felt like he looked gorgeous.

Sixty’s praise went straight to Allen’s dick, and he let out a soft, pleased whine. He tested the ropes just a bit, and the fact that there was still some give to it calmed his nerves completely. Now he could just focus on feeling good and being good for Sixty.

All through putting Allen in the ropes, Sixty kept up a soft litany, telling him how gorgeous he looked, how Sixty found him irresistible. He didn't mind Allen's silence, the way he leaned into each touch and his cock filled out was more than enough feedback.

"Look at you," he breathed as he finished up. "Breathtaking. How are you feeling?"

It was a check-in but not too outright that it might jolt Allen out of whatever headspace he had fallen into. Never before had Sixty seen him so pliant and content.

Allen had never felt like this before - usually when he was having sex he was in a more dominant position, making sure that his partner was being pleasured or taking his own pleasure as well. This concept of waiting and being patient and good was totally new, but he found himself lost very quickly in the heady arousal of it.

_ Sixty will take good care of me _ was the thought that kept running through Allen’s mind, when he wasn’t thinking about how good he felt. 

“Mmmm....fucking great” Allen replied as soon as he could get his voice to cooperate and make words. He looked up at Sixty and wondered if he could get a kiss by looking kissable enough.

Despite only being tied up so far, Allen was looking decidedly fucked out already and Sixty felt his heart swell at the sight. He dipped down to kiss him, claiming him as his, directing the kiss as he pleased. It was sloppy, not experienced at all but left them both breathless.

"Would you like to take my beads?" Sixty purred and moved to leave bruising kissed along Allen's skin, licking over the tattoos again when he could, biting at them lightly when the mood took.

Allen was used to grabbing and directing during a kiss, so this was definitely less efficient of a kiss than his usual standards. He still moaned softly into it though, and then again as Sixty started trailing over his tattoos. It was always hot when a partner paid special attention to those, and Sixty was no exception.

“Yes, please, I want that” Allen murmured, body arching and twisting slightly to push towards Sixty’s mouth. Anything to get more of that delicious touch, since his cock was very much being neglected right now.

Stroking over Allen's skin, Sixty settled across his thighs, letting his whole body brush against his, driving home the fact that he was still clothed in the face of Allen's nudity.

"You ask so beautifully. You deserve everything you beg for." He said it between kisses, cupping Allen's jaw. They kissed for a little more, Sixty slowly slipping off Allen's lap.

"I'm going to help you tip forward, okay?" Sixty waited for the nod before helping Allen slowly learn forward until his shoulders were pressed into the mattress, his ass up in the air and rope beautifully crossed along his back.

"Breathtaking," Sixty sighed and ran a hand over the newly exposed skin. "I'll get you nice and wet with a finger first before the beads, okay?"

He kept checking in, giving Allen all the control without the need to feel that he had to make all the decisions.

Allen was almost embarrassed at how aroused he was over this. Was he supposed to be this hard when Sixty had barely done anything? A flush was settling across his cheeks and down his chest as he sighed into the kiss. He was soaking up the praise like a sponge, mouth open and panting softly when they parted.

Allen allowed himself to be tipped forward, parting his legs and canting his hips so that his ass was sticking up even further. He needed Sixty’s hands on his cock or his fingers in his ass soon, or he might start making some embarrassing noises. As it was he gasped out a “Pleaaaase, yes, anything.”

A soothing hand ran over Allen's back and Sixty followed it with a couple of kisses, travelling lower and lower. At the small of Allen's back, he paused, a wicked idea coming to his mind.

"Have you ever been opened up by a tongue?" The question was soft, his fingers were already gently massaging over Allen's rim, dry for now and more petting him than trying to push in. "And more importantly, would you like that to happen now?"

Allen was having trouble concentrating right now, especially when he was fighting against the urge to push back against what he could feel were just dry fingers. His neglected cock was starting to drip precum onto the sheets below, but all he could focus on was Sixty’s voice and those kisses on the small of his back.

“Done it before...never had it done.” He managed to murmur out, muffled somewhat by his face being pressed into the bed. Eating ass was something he very much enjoyed, but he’d never had the pleasure himself until now. “Please?” He added, hoping that would suffice.

"Oh darling, you really haven't been treated right, have you?" Sixty settled behind Allen and pulled his hand away, shushing him when it looked like he might protest.

A hand on each cheek, Sixty took a moment to admire how his thumbs left dimples in the muscle before leaning forward and leaving a broad lick over Allen's hole. Before the other man could do much, he was back already, sealing his lips around the muscle and lightly flicking his tongue over it again and again.

Apparently not, since that first swipe of the tongue was enough to make Allen jolt - hips unsure on whether they wanted to push away or back into the pressure. “Oh  _ fuck _ ” he groaned, “Oh fuck that’s good”

It felt like nothing Allen had ever had done to him, so different from getting fucked but still incredible in its own right. He whined as Sixty added suction to the mix.

Working Allen's hole with his tongue, Sixty smiled as the muscle slowly gave way to him. He delighted in the way Allen seemed undecided about the direction to move in. So he made it simple and held him firmly in place.

Once satisfied that Allen was ready, Sixty slicked up a finger and pulled away with a final kiss to his twitching hole. Immediately, he was replacing his lips with a finger, slowly sliding it in until he was buried to the knuckle and he could gently push down, looking for Allen's prostate.

Allen was pretty sure he had died and gone to heaven at this point. Everything felt loose and relaxed in all the best ways, and he could feel the thrum of pleasure all through his body. Almost enough to make him forget what was to come, until that finger pressed right down on his prostate.

Allen let out a yelp that was half moan, hips twitching uselessly as his cock dripped more. He had a strangely obscene view of himself, with his head craned back to look at his own legs framing his erection.

Very pleased with Allen's response, Sixty circled his finger a couple of times over the bundle of nerves and admired the way his cock dripped freely.

"The embodiment of perfection," he murmured and pulled his finger out. Slowly, he spread lube on the beads and pressed the smallest one against Allen's hole.

"Will you take my beads? Or will you fight each one I press into you?" He mused out loud and used his finger to push the first one in. It was no bigger than a very large pea.

Allen was panting now, gasping in breaths as his cock twitched uselessly. He was already close, even without being touched once, and he had a feeling that if Sixty kept going he was going to come untouched. Either that or rip off these ropes to wrap a hand around his cock for some sweet release. 

When Sixty pushed the first bead into his hole, Allen made a small, curious noise. It was nothing compared to the finger that had just been inside him, but the feeling of that lingering pressure was oddly enticing. “I won’t fight” he promised breathily, forcing himself to relax so Sixty could press the next bead in.

The hand that rested on Allen's back resumed the broad strokes as Sixty pressed the next bead in. He waited a moment to give Allen time to get used to the intrusion before the third bead was offered up to his hole.

"I wish you could see yourself. You're taking these so beautifully. I can't wait to see you stuffed full of them, trembling. Can you imagine how it would feel as I pull them all out in one go? Your poor hole would be helpless to do anything but give them up."

He pressed the fourth bead in slowly, it was slightly wider than his finger and Sixty let it slowly press into Allen's body, allowing him to feel the stretch.

The combination of the dirty talk and the pressure of the beads into his hole had Allen squirming. His legs were shifting ever so slightly to shift his weight, as if he could get some sort of relief that way. In his defense, he hadn't yet tried to escape and just rut against the mattress.

Nodding as best he could, as if that was an appropriate response, Allen whined softly as that first large bead made its way in. That was the kind of pressure he was craving, but even more.

Watching the bead get swallowed up like that earned a groan from Sixty. He was straining in his trousers, desperate for a bit of relief but wouldn't let himself have it. Allen's pleasure was the most important thing in that moment.

He stroked over Allen's back, reaching under him to stroke across his chest and stomach, getting closer to his twitching and leaking cock. The next bead was slow to sink in, Sixty had to press more firmly, listening out for the slightest huff of discomfort.

"You're doing so well, absolutely captivating. You've got two more beads to go. Think you want to take them?"

If Allen said no, Sixty would wrap his fingers around his cock and get him off as they were, pulling the beads out just as Allen came. It was no trouble for him, he wanted Allen to take what he was comfortable with. The next two beads were considerably bigger than the rest had been.

Part of Allen desperately just wanted to give up and let Sixty get him off. His cock was aching for relief, and one of the beads was  _ just _ shy of pressing down on his prostate. He opened his mouth to start begging, his hole clenching around the newest intrusion, then...forced himself to stop.

Allen wanted to be good. He wanted to prove he could do this, especially since Sixty was being so calming and caring. He sucked in a few shaky breaths as he gathered himself to speak.

“I can take it. I can do it.” Allen said with a soft groan, “But I, mmmm, I might come soon.”

"You come whenever you'd like." Sixty kept his voice low and let the beads go so he could lean down to kiss Allen softly. "And let me hear you. I don't want you holding back."

He returned to the beads and tutted when the last one he'd pressed in was peeking out. Lightly, he tapped against it before pushing it back, letting his finger sink in with it a little. Pulling out, he grasped the last two beads and began working them into Allen. A little at a time before putting tension on the string and letting the bead slip out a little. At last, the penultimate bead popped in and Sixty was left with the last one rubbing against Allen's hole.

By the time the second to last bead was in, Allen’s thighs were shaking and he was moaning each time Sixty pulled at the string. If his boyfriend hadn’t told him to be loud, Allen might have been a little embarrassed at how worked up he was. 

He could feel his orgasm building, teetering right on the edge of washing over him. Everything was tight, and he could feel the last bead pushing against his hole almost uncomfortably. Without realizing it, Allen was softly pleading Sixty’s name.

Sixty actually had to bite his own cheek not to whine with Allen. The way he trembled, worked up as he was, it was intoxicating. To have all that power bound and at Sixty's mercy was heady. When he started pleading, Sixty's name like a prayer on his lips, it cemented everything Sixty had been feeling for him.

Ever so gently, Sixty used his thumb to work the last bead into Allen and held onto the handle of the string, ready to pull as soon as Allen toppled over the edge. His other hand lightly trailed over Allen's cock before wrapping around it, just holding, waiting for a reaction.

The moment Allen felt that hand on his cock it was all over. His hips instinctively bucked forward to get some friction, and that was all it took to tip him over the edge. Everything tensed and it seemed like there was something exploding behind his eyelids. Oh, when had his eyes slipped shut? He wasn’t sure, but his eyes were squeezed closed and his mouth was open in a soundless gasp.

As soon as Allen moved, Sixty pulled on the beads, watching them pop out in quick succession and leaving Allen's hole clenching over nothing. Not giving him any reprieve, as his hand slowly milked Allen, Sixty's mouth returned to his twitching hole, licking into it and using his other hand to reach in deeper, pressing down on Allen's prostate firmly.

Allen all but howled then, his body convulsing from the multiple sources of stimuli. Pleasure was shooting through his body, the orgasm more intense than probably any he had ever had before. He wasn’t sure how Sixty was managing to touch him all over all at once, but he loved it.

Gently easing Allen through his orgasm, Sixty slowly pulled away from his softening cock and away from his puffy hole. Rather than move away completely, he began petting Allen's back and hair.

"You did so well. Took all the beads." He whispered, unwilling to disturb Allen from the haze he seemed to be lost in. "You're so pretty when you come. My perfect, gorgeous boyfriend."

Carefully, he freed Allen's arms from their loose bonds and urged him to flop to his side so Sixty could cuddle up to him and hold him while he figured out which way was up again.

Allen couldn’t quite process what Sixty was saying, but the tone of his voice and his hands gently petting were heavenly. He was just on the right side of sensitive, so having the pressure taken off his hole and his cock was appreciated.

As soon as his hands were freed, Allen was pressed as close to Sixty as possible, head snuggled up against his chest and arms wrapped around him as tightly as possible. He felt completely boneless in the best way possible, more relaxed than he had ever been in his life. He fully intended to just snuggle up to Sixty until he could make words again.

There was something utterly heartwarming and touching about the way Allen sought out cuddles in the state he was in. Gently, Sixty gathered him closer, kept up a steady stream of reassurances and praise, hands never ceasing their movements. At times he lightly traced along the shapes the rope made, other times were broader, firmer strokes down his whole back and up. It lulled Sixty into a mindless daze too, the repetition of motion, warmth and general glow of pleasure at getting Allen so gloriously out of it.

Honestly, Allen could have fallen asleep right there and then. But a part of his mind was still intent on getting a few things done first - telling Sixty how amazing that had been and also trying to make sure he was taken care of as well. 

Once his head wasn’t totally foggy, Allen lifted it to give Sixty a dopey, fond smile. “You’re amazing. That was amazing. Thank you.”

"Anything for you," Sixty smiled back. "Ready to get out of the ropes?"

He pressed a gentle kiss to Allen's lips, hands still roaming over his body. Once they got him free of the harness, he would put the dogtags back to where they belonged, around Allen's neck. The idea of being the one to put them there this time made Sixty's heart pick up a little.

Allen nodded, replying “Yeah. But that felt amazing. I’d be into that again if you want.” The ropes were starting to feel a little tight now, but when they were having sex they had been amazing. 

Allen leaned in for another kiss, his own hand roaming down Sixty’s body. “And how are  _ you _ feeling after this?”

Deft fingers started working the harness off Allen. Sixty could have loosened parts and pulled it off but he enjoyed the process and symbolism of slowly taking it off. Once it was off, Sixty reached for the dog tags around his neck and transferred them over to Allen, settling the warmed metal against his chest.

"I'm feeling wonderful, thank you for indulging me darling."

He pulled Allen in for a chaste kiss, not wanting to push him too far once he had started settling down.

Allen let out a soft pleased hum as Sixty slowly worked the harness off. This whole thing felt so indulgent and wonderful. Especially the dog tags. He patted them happily against his chest and smiled up at Sixty.

“I should be the one thanking you.” He corrected, “I didn’t do anything but lay back and be pleasured.”

"You did so much more than that." Sixty pulled Allen against his chest again. "You were beautiful in your submission. A natural. And you gave that to me. Laid your trust in my hands and had faith that I would take care of you. I can't think of a greater gift than that."

Allen considered that for a moment and admitted “I mean, I definitely trust you. Not just in the bedroom, but outside of it too. And I was happy to let you take control because I knew you’d take care of me.” He couldn’t help but feel a buzz of pride at being told he was a natural at this whole thing. It made him feel much less self-conscious

Brushing a stray strand of hair from Allen's forehead, Sixty could only smile.

"You really are something else. Something, no, someone to be treasured. To be doted on. I hope to know that."

He rested his forehead against Allen's, suddenly tired.

Allen flushed, unsure of what to actually say to that. He had felt valued by partners before, but never spoiled it doted on like with Sixty. 

Instead of saying anything in reply, he simply hummed and pressed Sixty closer. “You ready to get some sleep?” He asked softly.

"Sure thing, sweetheart. Can I get you a drink or help you wipe down before we sleep?" He kept Allen close, reluctant to let him go.

“Oh yeah. Uh. I guess I made a mess, huh?” Allen chuckled, looking down at himself. He had been so taken by his orgasm that he had forgotten about the mess.

"A beautiful mess, I loved watching you make it," Sixty reassured. He wasn't lying either, Allen had been breathtaking and he couldn't get the sounds he'd made out of his head.

Urging Allen to the side, Sixty kicked the throw off the bed, he could deal with that the following day. The only thing they had to deal with was a quick wipe down of Allen and he could do with a wash of hands and rinse of his mouth.

Allen flushed further, mumbling “God, Sixty, you sure know how to make a man feel special. It’s almost too much to handle.” He rolled obediently onto his side, propping himself up on one arm to watch as Sixty got up. 

A thought suddenly reminded Allen of something, and he asked “Wait, do you want a turn? Like...did you get off from all of that?”

It was Sixty's turn to blush and look away as he shook his head.

"As much of a turn on as you are, all my focus was on taking care of you. While I was definitely rock hard, I didn't get off. Sorry."

He felt a little ashamed, like he had failed in some way or was letting Allen down. Giving one last awkward smile, he slipped out of the room to get a damp towel. On his return, he busied himself with getting Allen clean.

Allen felt terrible when Sixty got so embarrassed. He hadn’t meant it as a judgement, more as a check in. When he returned to bed, Allen welcomed him by pulling him in for a gentle kiss. 

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize. I asked because I wanted to make sure you were taken care of.” He explained, “if you want me to, I’d be happy to get you off before we snuggle up for bed.”

There were a lot of words and thoughts tumbling around in Sixty's head. He wanted too many contradictory things.

"What you just experienced is a very intense first taste of this kind of play. My primary role was to ensure your comfort and safety. Even if I'm new to this and might get things wrong, as long as you're okay, everything else can be dealt with later."

He hoped he was making sense. As much as he had read and watched all sorts of things online, nothing quite compared to the real thing. The only thing he had to go off was how he would want to be treated if the roles were reversed.

Allen listened carefully, trying to understand what Sixty was trying to tell him. Because clearly it was important. Once he was done, Allen nodded a few times before speaking in return.

“Alright. It’s not what I’m used to, but I trust you. You’re the expert here, and my normal patterns don’t apply. And that’s okay. We can still snuggle now, right?”

He still planned on blowing Sixty’s mind tomorrow as a thank you, but it could wait. As weird as it felt to leave one partner hanging after a round of sex, Allen could wait.

A smile filled with relief split Sixty's face in two and he pulled Allen closer.

"Can't be an expert if all knowledge is only based on theory," he grumbled. "But thank you for understanding and going along with it."

His hand picked up a soothing rhythm through Allen's hair and he settled them both, eyes already heavy. Sleep was a siren call he was struggling to refuse.

Allen simply pressed a kiss to the closest part of Sixty he could reach, and let himself relax into sleep. It came easy, and he slept through the whole night with little disturbance. He only stirred a few times to snuggle in closer or change positions when his arm fell asleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a happy morning all around for Sixty and Allen, just a nice soft moment - haha jk it's pretty 'hard' if you know what I mean ;)

In the morning Allen woke early, as was his habit even on days off. It paid off this time, since it got him a beautiful view of Sixty’s sleeping face. He was so gorgeous, especially relaxed and happy like this.

Mornings were a bit hit and miss for Sixty. He wasn't all that used to sharing a bed so his sleep had been a bit restless, which meant he did not want to get out of bed early.

Still half dozing, he grumbled a little as he snuggled into Allen's chest, slipping down on the bed. Infuriatingly, it made his feet stick out from under the cover and he whined at the unfairness of it all. Sadly, he knew he was going to have to get up and ask whether Allen could run him back to his house because he didn't have any work clothes with him.

Allen gladly folded Sixty up against his chest, one hand coming up to stroke through his hair. He also knew that they would need to get up very soon, but for now he wanted to enjoy this feeling. Waking up with someone warm and soft in his arms was a luxury he was hoping to indulge in more in the near future.

"Can we cancel today? I don't want to go to work," Sixty mumbled against bare skin. It was far too comfortable in Allen's arms, in the half dark. He could almost convince himself that nothing existed outside of the little cocoon they'd made for themselves.

Allen chuckled, replying "If only being SWAT captain meant I could cancel all work. That would be the life, huh?" He honestly was on the same wavelength as Sixty on this one - getting up sounded terrible.

That did sound like a dream. Sixty pouted a little at the realization that it wasn't how it all worked sadly.

"Can you drop me back home please? I need clothes to work in and Connor's picking me up today."

Despite his words, he burrowed closer, enjoying the warm weight of arms around him, his own leg slung over Allen's hip. If he tipped his pelvis, he may well have been able to rut his morning wood against his boyfriend. However, he had more tact than that.

Allen nodded, stretching as he started to wake up. “Sure thing, I was planning on asking if you needed a ride anyways.” He replied, pleased at the idea of being helpful.

He had to chuckle when Sixty snuggled in closer though, echoing his own wishes for the morning. Another small stretch had his body connecting with a rather more interested part of his boyfriend, which had Allen smirking slowly. 

“Can I treat you before we hit the road?”

The offer was more than tempting and Sixty purred low in his throat at the notion. Except, a moment of self-doubt washed over him and he blinked, trying to tamp down on all excitement.

"Do you mean breakfast?" He hazarded a guess, hoping he was wrong.

Allen resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead settling a hand on Sixty’s hip and squeezing lightly to indicate his interest. 

“I mean breakfast is on the table as well, but this is more of a ‘only I get some protein’ sort of activity” he teased.

A little flustered but rather excited, Sixty giggled into the crook of Allen's neck as he pushed closer.

"Only if you're sure," he mumbled. "As you may have guessed with the cage and all, I quite like the denial at times."

“And I like getting my boyfriend off” Allen murmured in response, his thumb running little circles in Sixty’s skin. “You just lay back and let me take care of you, okay?”

The nod was probably lost in the shuffling around as Sixty turned to lie on his back and he watched Allen with wide, wonder filled eyes.

"Can I do anything for you?" he offered. Now that they weren't hate fucking to prove dominance, he was quite keen to make sure Allen was as fulfilled as he was.

Allen settled in between Sixty’s thighs with a happy little wiggle. This was fast becoming one of his favorite places to be. His hands massaged gently at his boyfriend’s legs, loosening and relaxing the muscles.

“Enjoy yourself.” Was all Allen asked for, smiling up at Sixty before his mouth closed on the tip of his cock. He had been treated last night, so Allen was intent on returning the favor this morning.

It was difficult not to clamp his thighs around Allen's head and Sixty inhaled sharply, head thrown back. Since last night he had been pleasantly on edge, the couple of dreams he'd had about Allen only added to the fire but never got him over.

As tempting as it was to push up into the heat of Allen's mouth, Sixty forced his hips to still, put himself to his boyfriend's mercy. He knew he wasn't going to last long anyway, but he still wanted to draw it out somewhat.

It was probably good Sixty was all keyed up, because Allen knew they didn’t have much time. He wasted none of it on teasing, immediately sinking down and taking as much of Sixty’s cock as possible in one swoop.

Allen used his grip on Sixty’s thighs to not only keep himself grounded but also to make sure his boyfriend didn’t smack him in the head. His fingers continued to massage into the muscle as he worked his mouth.

If Sixty was thinking straight, he would have been embarrassed at how quickly he came. Allen's fingers grabbing onto his thighs added to the pleasure along with the mouth working him over.

Lips worked around silent words and Sixty squeezed his eyes shut. There was only so much he could hold back before his muscles tightened and he came with a gasp.

Allen moaned softly as he felt Sixty start to come, enjoying the feeling of him tensing and hearing that gasp. It was satisfying to know he was the cause of that pleasure, even if he hadn’t had to do much. Swallowing around his cock until he was completely finished, Allen pulled off with a wet pop and licked his lips.

“Good?” He asked, soothing over Sixty’s legs with a smile.

Shaking a little, Sixty nodded with a dopey smile.

"So good, I am keeping you for as long as you are willing to be mine," he sighed. "But we sadly really need to get going. Unless I can return the favor?"

Allen pressed one last kiss to Sixty’s thigh and sat up, running a hand through his hair. “No, I’m good this morning.” He replied, “Let’s get you home so Connor doesn’t worry.” 

The sight of Sixty’s dopey smile was way too cute. Allen wished he could take a picture.

A soft shiver passed through Sixty at the sight of Allen sitting up between his legs.

"He is a bit of a natural worrier," he admitted with a shy shrug. "Just has a funny way of showing it."

Rolling out of bed, he stood and stretched with a satisfied groan. This was definitely a good way to start a morning.

Allen was feeling similarly satisfied, stretched a little on the bed before he slid off and got up himself. He didn’t really care much about Connor and his worrying, honestly. It was hard to, when the man had tried to kill him. But he didn’t want to upset Sixty so he just ignored it and didn’t say anything. 

Instead, Allen focused on stealing as many little kisses as he could before he got them both up on the bike to head to Sixty’s house. That was much more enjoyable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next part of the story can be found in [Chapter 3 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166/chapters/59267806)! Check it out to see what happens to Allen after he drops Sixty off.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sixty deals with the aftermath of the accident, and meets some new faces!
> 
> AKA, meet Bready's SWAT Team OCs
> 
> This chapter directly follows [Chapter 3 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166/chapters/59267806)!

The call from Connor had made Sixty's insides freeze up. He needed to get to Allen, to make sure he was alright. Coming off a bike sucked big time, even worse when it was a car's doing. He screeched to a halt at the edge of the scene and was quietly gloating at how people let him through when he growled that he was a doctor. Kneeling down next to Allen, he took one look.

"Now what did I say about not wanting to see you at work on my slab?" he chided as he assessed the situation. "Tell me what happened."

When Connor tried to interject, Sixty cut him off with a glare. He needed to know just how aware Allen was.

Sixty’s voice managed to cut through the haze of pain and Allen’s hands weakly flopped about on the ground in an attempt to reach for him. It wasn’t working, and he let out a weak little whine in frustration. 

“Sixty, ‘m sorry...didn mean to...” he murmured, distressed by seeing his boyfriend leaning over him and asking him questions he couldn’t understand.

"You're okay, don't worry, nothing to be sorry for," Sixty tried to soothe him. He grabbed Allen's left hand, the other at an awkward and limp angle. "I'm just going to move a little, okay. But I'm still here."

He shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over Allen, carefully moving around to his head. Settling on the ground again, he put a steadying hand on either side of the helmet to keep it still.

"I'm right here. And Connor is helping too, he's going to just keep hold of your left hand. Squeeze it if you feel funny."

The ambulance couldn't come soon enough. Concussion, dislocated right shoulder, possibly broken bones. Sixty dreaded to think about cracked or broken vertebrae, nerve damage or the like. He leaned over a little so Allen could see him and by the same move he blocked the sun from his eyes. In the distance, they could hear a siren.

Allen understood about every other word, but he did hear Sixty’s voice and his tone, and it made him feel better. He couldn’t really feel his right hand, but he could feel someone warm holding his left, and that helped. He hoped it was Sixty. 

When his boyfriend’s face came into view, Allen’s face broke into a dopey smile, blinking up at him still clearly in pain but delighted he was here. “Hey! You’re back.” It had been very confusing for a moment there, with the not Sixty speaking in not quite Sixty’s voice. But this was definitely his boyfriend.

The ambulance pulled up before he could say much more, paramedics rushing over to assess the scene and cops going to speak to the driver of the car and any witnesses.

It was an absolute clusterfuck as such. Sixty stepped back and watched the ambulance crew take over, securing Allen onto a board and setting blocks into place to keep him as still as possible.

He was pulled aside by some of the police, as was Connor. They gave their versions of the events, what they saw, how they arrived at the scene. With all their details and statements taken, they were allowed to leave.

"I am so sorry," Connor sighed as he pulled Sixty into a hug.

Uncertain what the apology was for, Sixty sighed and nodded. "We'll need to chat later but for now? Do you think you could work your detective magic and get us in to see him? I don't know where his family is based and when they might get here, if they do."

As confused and concussed as Allen was, it was hard for him to understand what was going on. The whirl of colors and noise was confusing, and being pulled away from Sixty was distressing. Eventually he ended up just closing his eyes and trying not to whimper every time a jolt of the board made pain shoot down his arm. 

By the time they got him to the hospital though, the drugs had kicked in and Allen all but passed out as doctors and nurses fussed around him. The damage came out piece by piece and got added to the chart: broken collarbone, dislocated shoulder, some scraped skin, and extensive bruising. Not to mention the concussion.

It was a family effort to get Sixty's bike home and him to the hospital. None of the doctors were willing to speak to him or even tell him what was going on so he settled in the waiting room, arms crossed and glaring until visiting was allowed. Even then, he was surprised that none of Allen's family were there. Although a couple of suspicious folks were present, all murmuring in low voices, obviously waiting to see someone too.

"Sixty," Connor had looked distraught. "I promise I was trying to apologise to him!"

"Did he know that too? Or did he see you gunning for him and assume you were trying to kill him again?" The way Connor's face fell told Sixty he was being too harsh but in that moment, he wasn't feeling terribly emotionally charitable.

"Go to work, think things over and we'll talk when things are a little less fraught with worry. They'll let me see my boyfriend soon anyway. I'll let you know the prognosis."

He watched Connor's slumped shoulders leave but his attention was diverted when the doctor treating Allen emerged again.

After quite a bit of patching up, the doctors were finally ready to let Allen have visitors. He felt absolutely miserable, but at least he was more coherent than before. His neck was in a brace and his arm was as well, but the pain had subsided. Now he was just feeling sorry for himself.

When the doctor called for visitors for a Mr. Fletcher Allen, the suspicious group also stood up. Their leader, a redhead with sharp eyes, glanced over at Sixty curiously when he also stepped forward. “You look familiar.” He said simply.

"And you do not," he snipped back haughtily. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

He brushed past them briskly and made his way to Allen's room, all too aware the group were behind him. However, he was going to get there first, everyone else be damned.

In the room, his heart broke a little at the sight Allen made in the bed. All trussed up in braces and slings, looking utterly miserable. The quip about learning to fly like an arrow died on his lips in favour of a soft "oh Fletch, how are you feeling?"

There was a murmur of discontent and annoyance from the group following Sixty as they piled into the room after him. There were two men and a woman, so it was a tight squeeze with Sixty there too.

Allen’s face lit up as much as possible when he saw Sixty, reaching out and then wincing as his arm twinged painfully. “Sixty! You came, I’m so glad. I’m so sorry I got banged up again.” He said, the relief and regret in his voice obvious.

“Geez boss, what are we, yesterday’s leftovers?” The redhead called out from over Sixty’s shoulder, clearly teasing.

Glancing behind him, Sixty sniffed delicately.

"Well, it certainly smells better than you." He turned back to Allen. "Of course I came, you muscle bound buffoon. Like I could leave you alone like this. As soon as they're releasing you, you're coming home with me."

Allen felt a swell of affection as he heard Sixty proclaim that of course he would come see him. That felt good. “Babe...you’re too sweet.” he murmured, then finally turned his eyes to look at the other people in the room.

“Oh shit, Scott? You guys skipped work for lil ol me too?” Allen exclaimed. The redhead grinned at that, replying “Hell yeah boss. Couldn’t leave you with whoever this whipper snapper is.” 

Allen just rolled his eyes, retorting “This is my boyfriend, play nice all of you. He has dibs on my sorry ass.”

A proud little grin accompanied the swell of pride and happiness at being called Allen's boyfriend. Sixty gently leaned down to kiss his cheek, in part because he wanted to and in part for assertion of his place by the bed.

"I like to think I have dibs on more than just your ass. I'd quite like your heart too." He was content to ignore the others unless they addressed him. Sixty was here for Allen, not to socialise.

The remaining occupants of the room filled in after Sixty, taking up other positions around the bed. They all looked various degrees of worried about Allen, but were also curiously watching Sixty. Allen just blushed as his boyfriend continued to be sweet, murmuring something indistinguishable. 

"Ohhhh so that explains why he's so possessive" the largest man of the group teased, which got a few chuckles out of the other two. 

"Wait, you're from the morgue!" Scott exclaimed finally, the lightbulb going off as he held his hand out across Allen on the bed, "Pleased to meet you, finally."

It wasn't often at all that Sixty got recognised for who he was. Usually people assumed he was Connor, the great detective everyone liked which meant he was used to going "no, that's my twin. I work in the morgue."

Which is exactly what he said then smacked himself in the face, forgetting his bruised and swollen eye. Now he was in physical and emotional pain and he wished he could just crawl under Allen's blanket and never resurface again.

Scott laughed, then bit his tongue as Sixty clearly injured himself. “Shit! Be careful there.” He cautioned, withdrawing his hand as it seemed Sixty wasn’t in the mood to introduce himself. 

“Are you okay?” Allen asked, reaching his good hand around with a wince to try and take Sixty’s and give it a reassuring squeeze. He wished this wasn’t the way these two groups were meeting, because he couldn’t properly moderate like this.

Eyes watering with pain, Sixty straightened up and smiled.

"I'm fine. It's no more than a scratch compared to what you've managed to accumulate." He squeezed Allen's hand and turned to the others. "My apologies about that. I'm Sixty, head of the morgue."

Squeezing Sixty’s hand in return, Allen murmured “Doesn’t mean I still can’t worry about you.” 

Scott smiled reassuringly, although his grins were always a little sharp around the edges. “Scott. I’m Cap over here’s second in command in SWAT. That’s Brad, and Marsha, two of our peons.” That joke got some good natured ‘hey!’s out of the other two, who both waved at Sixty across the bed as Scott stuck his hand out.

"Ah, minion in chief and cronies," Sixty nodded knowingly. "My red shirts are hard at work so we can't really make this into a team bonding."

He looked back to Allen, eyes softening a little. "It seems like you've got more than enough visitors. I can come back later with lunch if you'd prefer."

“Cronies and peons...I don’t know why we come here just to suffer this abuse!!” Marsha exclaimed dramatically, swooning against Brad who gave a few big nods of agreement. Scott ignored them in favor of piping up and saying “Nah, we gotta motor on back to work now that we know the boss is fine.”

Allen shot him a grateful look, turning back to Sixty and insisting “Please stay? I’d like that a lot.”

A small hop was all it took for Sixty to settle on the edge of the bed, his hands both holding Allen's now.

"Anything for you," he murmured. Looking over to the other three, Sixty tipped his head to the side. "Is there anything I need to do for Allen to get enough recovery time off work? Any forms, calls or people I need to bully?"

Allen’s smile widened as Sixty acted so sweet and cute. He really was lucky to have such a great boyfriend. 

Scott laughed at that, replying “I mean, we’re the ones you’d need to bully, and clearly we don’t care. Getting hit by a car pretty much means he gets whatever time he needs off.”

“Yeah, having someone with a bad limb out in the field would suck.” Brad piped up, “He’ll be stuck on office duty for a while after the hospital.”

Allen groaned at that, whining “I hate paperwork.”

Eyes gleaming with barely held glee, Sixty's grin widened.

"Well, there just so happens to be perks to dating someone who is a qualified doctor. Unlimited and unquestionable notes to stay off work!" He fixed a glare at the other three. "You did not hear that, did you?" Gesturing at his face he growled. "As you can see, I am not afraid to get physical. You should see the other guy."

“Yikes boss, your new boyfriend is mean.” Marsha complained, “I didn’t come here to get into any fights.” That got some snickers out of the other two, who had seen her in action in the field and in the ring.

“It’s okay Sixty, they’re a good bunch.” Allen soothed, patting his hand, “They won’t tell. That’s the benefit to working together for so long - we’re all permanently blackmailing each other.”

"Mean in the streets, machine in the sheets," Sixty nodded with a leer. "And I want in on this blackmail material. In exchange, I can tell you that the other guy is lying in bed in this room." He tried to wink but it didn't come out quite right.

Deciding that he couldn't be bothered to care about what anybody else thought, he turned to Allen while kicking his shoes off.

"Budge up." He wriggled a little until he could get under the cover and helped Allen curl up against him. The way they fit together still made him smile like a soppy idiot.

Sixty was clearly starting to win over the other three people in the room, who laughed at his joke and clearly filed away that information for later teasing. “We’ll fill you in once we’re in a more secure location.” Scott teased with a wink, “But for now we’re clearly in the way of something.”

As the SWAT team filed out with more light hearted jabs and teasing, Allen waved once then relaxed completely against Sixty with a big sigh. He loved his teammates and felt lucky they had visited, but balancing them and his boyfriend had been a bit exhausting.

A hand helped Allen tuck in against Sixty a bit more firmly.

"You alright? I didn't embarrass you, did I?" There was so much doubt and worry trickling through Sixty now that it was just the two of them again.

“I feel great. Just a little tired.” Allen replied, almost able to feel the worry coming off of Sixty, “And you did great. Sorry you had to just get thrown into a big meeting like that.”

It was endearing how Allen was more concerned about Sixty coping with his team rather than himself. That definitely earned him a few chaste kisses.

"Nothing to be sorry for. They seem like a nice bunch. I just wanted to be good enough for you."

Allen very much enjoyed the chaste kisses, wishing he could actually hug Sixty. “You don’t have to be ‘good enough’ Sixty, you already are.” Allen insisted with a small frown, “You don’t have to prove anything, especially not to my friends. Well, coworkers. Subordinates. Whatever.” His head was still a little fuzzy.

"Well, I don't want to bring shame upon you. For people to look at us and wonder what you see in me. I want to be your equal, your partner."

He pulled Allen into a gentle hug, mindful of his injuries.

"You get some sleep if you can. I suspect as the painkillers wear off, you'll sleep less."

“Once I’m feeling better I’m going to snuggle the word ‘shame’ out of your vocabulary.” Allen mumbled, but his eyes were already starting to drift closed. The pain killers were definitely making him sleepy, and the stress and pain didn’t help either.

He wanted to say something else, to apologize for all the fuss, but he didn’t manage it. He was asleep before the words could come out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Scott is an OC I (Bready) made all the way back in high school, and I've been dragging him through fandoms ever since. A virtual cookie to anyone who can guess what fandom he was created for! ;)


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a more serious chapter - Allen continues his recovery in the hospital, and Connor faces the consequences of his actions.

The way Allen fell lax in his arms was endearing. Sixty relaxed a little and snagged the chart from the side to look over. Although he dealt with causes of death and determining foul play more, he still had a solid grounding in health. Leafing through it, none of it looked too dangerous, definitely not life threatening. But certainly unpleasant to recover from.

Sixty had an hour before he needed to wake Allen so he spent it plotting. If none of his family showed up, then Sixty was going to take matters into his own hands. While they hadn't been boyfriends for long, it was a commitment he took seriously from the get go. Family first and Allen had earned himself a spot.

Allen’s parents had definitely received the call from the hospital, but after confirming it wasn’t a life-threatening injury they had opted to simply call and leave several messages on his cell phone for when he woke. It wasn’t the kind of thing they’d fly across the country for.

Allen slept as soundly as he could in the confines of the neck brace and sling, but Sixty’s comforting warmth next to him definitely helped. He definitely wasn’t going to wake up on his own after the hour.

An hour later, Sixty was stroking Allen's cheek, trying to gently rouse him as a nurse bustled in.

"I'm guessing this is a frequent occurrence if you know how to handle a concussion," she said.

Something about her tone rankled Sixty. "6 years in medical school also helps."

Before he could deliver a more scathing remark, Allen stirred under his hand. Changing immediately, Sixty cooed, "Hey sweetheart."

Allen blinked awake groggily. His arm and his chest hurt more this time around, and he instinctively tried to scoot closer to Sixty. A tiny little noise escaped, halfway between a squeak and a whimper, which he would have been very embarrassed about if he was fully conscious.

Shushing him, Sixty cradled Allen gently.

"You're okay darling. I've got you." Soft murmurs of reassurance left Sixty's lips, his heart ached for Allen and how helpless he seemed all of a sudden.

Once he was awake and aware, Allen yawned properly, muttering “Hey...how long have I been out?” He felt terrible again, but he had no idea how the passage of time worked. In a quieter voice, he added “Thanks for staying.”

Brushing fingers over Allen's cheek lightly, Sixty smiled.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be. You slept for an hour and can have another hour shortly if you'd like. How are you feeling?" He wanted to ask about family but was worried it might be a sensitive topic so refrained.

“Uh. You know, like I got hit by a car.” Allen tried to joke, chuckling then wincing at the pain. “What actually happened? I figure concussion, cause of the brace, but I can’t really see my arm or chest...they hurt though.” He said, looking to Sixty for answers. Previously he had been too out of it to actually ask.

"Technically, your bike got hit by a car, not you. But you got concussions, dislocated shoulder, broken collarbone, bruised ribs on top of your bruise ribs. But at least this time Connor wasn't trying to do anything malicious."

Sixty smiled brightly at Allen. "Speaking of, are you up for another visitor?"

Allen groaned softly as all of his injuries were laid out like that. It wasn’t exactly a great lineup. But at least he hadn’t broken anything besides the collarbone. “I mean, it could have been worse.” He admitted, then paused and frowned in confusion. “Wait? What and  _ what _ ? You’re gonna have to explain some more babe.”

Maybe that came out a bit different than anticipated and Sixty tried to soothe Allen back into something more relaxed.

"Well, last time you came off your bike, it was because Connor was being an ass. This time, he was first at the scene and helped stabilise you. He actually wanted to talk to you, I think to apologise for how he had behaved. Then a car rudely interrupted his plans and your morning."

He paused for a moment and nodded sadly. "You're right, it could have been worse. A lot worse." For a moment his mask slipped and his fears showed through.

Allen stopped the flurry of questions he had waiting and just listened instead. He did his best not to think ill of Connor. Which was hard recently. “I see...yeah, I was definitely fleeing when I saw him approach. That’s why I wasn’t looking at the intersection.” He admitted.

When Sixty got sad though, Allen felt terrible. “Hey, it’s okay.” He said, squeezing his hand, “I’m here and I’m fine! Just a little more busted up, but I’ll recover.”

"Well, this definitely voids your warranty so I couldn't return you even if I wanted to," Sixty tried to make light of it. He smiled at Allen gently.

"If you're up for it, Connor would like to pop by at some point for a visit. But only if you feel strong enough and are willing to hear him out."

Allen laughed, wheezing somewhat as his ribs protested. “Sixty, please, you’re too funny for my injuries. You’ve gotta be less lovely.” He teased, wishing he could lean in and give his boyfriend a kiss for that.

Allen paused, thinking seriously for a moment. Part of him wanted to be immature and deny Connor any sort of decency, given the fact that he had shown none. But the better part of him knew that that would be a shit thing to do, not to mention terrible to Sixty. 

“Well I’m already at the hospital.” Allen joked. “If he wants to have another go.” Sobering up, he looked at his boyfriend as best he could and said “Seriously, he’s welcome to come if he’s actually going to take this seriously and not be a total asshole.”

"He might already be here and fretting in the waiting room," Sixty admitted. He grabbed his phone and sent a message. "And don't worry, if he's rude, I won't hesitate to toss his sorry ass out the room."

The kiss he pressed against Allen's lips was cut short by a knock on the door and Connor stepping in. Immediately, he averted his eyes.

"I can come back later if you're busy." He cleared his throat out of embarrassment.

Allen had to resist the urge to groan in annoyance when Connor came in and interrupted his kiss. Wasn’t the worst thing he had done, but it felt like adding insult to injury mostly. Instead of being immediately annoyed at the sight of Connors dumb face, Allen stayed as neutral as possible.

“No no, come in. I’m not going anywhere.”

There was a tension in the room that Sixty wasn't certain he was causing. He looked between Allen's blank poker face and Connor's unhappy tilt of lips.

"I'm sorry." Connor broke the silence with quiet words and Sixty's eyebrows shot up. "I was reckless, stupid and endangered your life without thought. Caused damage to you and your bike then refused to take responsibility. Sixty shouldn't have been the one to pay for the repairs, it should have been me. And I'm sorry for causing you undue worry, problems and pain."

Allen was...well, he was shocked. He had expected a snide snarky excuse out of Connor, not this outpouring of honesty and accepting of blame. His mouth twitched as he thought about what Connor was saying, and how he should reply. Eventually, Allen gathered himself enough to speak up, staring straight back at Connor.

“Yeah. You did all those things. You also came to my office during work hours and were blatantly disrespectful and downright disgusting to a superior officer. Although I suppose I should be more upset about the bodily harm, huh?” He sighed then, realizing just how non-threatening he looked right now. “I don’t know why you were acting like this, and frankly, I don’t really want to know. But I appreciate the apology, and the honesty. It’s a good first step, thank you.”

Trying to lighten the mood, Sixty nudged Allen's shoulder.

"Technically, each time he's a brat to me he is blatantly disrespectful to a superior officer and superior human being. But that's just the way it is, some things there's no hope for."

He looked to Connor who still looked like a worried and beaten dog.

"I'm working on being a better person. Thank you for letting me come and apologise. And, I know it's too little too late, but if there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

Connor turned and left with a small, sad smile of thanks. The door closed behind him softly.

Allen tried to nod at Connor as he left, a task that was downright impossible thanks to the neck brace, not feeling up to a smile but still acknowledging and accepting that he was trying. It took a lot of guts to do something like this, and Allen could respect that. It felt more like the responsible, dedicated detective he knew from work.

Once Connor was gone, Allen turned his gaze to Sixty and asked “Did you know he had that planned?” He was genuinely curious as to how much of that had been a surprise to his boyfriend.

That was certainly something else. Sixty watched the door Connor had shut with a contemplative hum.

"I knew as much as you did. So...thoughts?"

“I mean...I can appreciate and respect an apology like that.” Allen said slowly, “It’ll take me a while to actually trust him though, given what he’s done to me in the past week for seemingly no reason.” He would have shrugged then, but that seemed like a terrible idea given his shoulder situation.

“I mean, I want to not be enemies with Connor. Especially for your sake.”

Sixty definitely appreciated Allen's level headed logic. It was, in part, what drew him in so much.

"Thank you," he murmured. "I make no excuses for him but I think I know where the behaviour has come from and why. It doesn't make it any better, but I don't think his intention had ever been anything truly malicious."

He settled back onto the bed comfortably with Allen. "So, want to come home with me when you get discharged?"

Allen hummed softly as Sixty settled back into bed with him. He wondered briefly if the things Connor had gone through were those that Sixty had gone through as well. And how those experiences shaped his boyfriend. But that was a conversation for later.

For now, Allen reached out for Sixty as best he could to snuggle. “I’ll take your word for it dear. I trust you.” He said, then turned his attention firmly away from Connor. The offer surprised Allen despite everything, and he blinked for a few moments before asking “I mean, you sure you want my busted ass at your house?”

A withering look was all Sixty shot him.

"Like I'm letting you home alone while unable to fend for yourself. With your shoulder and all that. Let alone concussion. Those are awful to deal with, especially alone."

Sixty wasn't quite sure how to put into words that his heart squeezed for Allen when his family didn't come running. Didn't deem his injuries severe enough. If they weren't prepared to act like a family for Allen then it was a mantle he was going to take on for as long as he was allowed.

“Thanks...” Allen said softly, his expression becoming something a little wistful. It had been a while since he dealt with an injury with direct help. Usually the team just took shifts bringing meals and checking up on each other if a mission went wrong. It was nice, but he had a feeling this would be even nicer.

"You know, you might want to let people know who you're staying with. They might start worrying I've abducted you."

He giggled a little at the notion of him doing that to Allen. Well, at a push, he might have been able to do it. But it didn't fill him with joy. It was much more fun to lure Allen in like this, full of warmth and love.

Allen snorted at that, replying “Speaking of which - you’re gonna have to deal with my team stopping by once in a while. We keep tabs on each other while we’re recovering.” 

The thought of Sixty abducting him was enough to pull a chuckle out of Allen then, which he tried to do while jostling his ribs as little as possible. It only kind of worked.

Holding Allen steady through his laughter, Sixty buried his nose in his hair. Trying his best, he soothed Allen and smiled.

"I think I like seeing people care about you. If they can behave, they're welcome over any time you're awake. I won't poison the tea, I promise." As if the team could find his address. It was buried under lock and key, safe and away from prying eyes.

He settled them back and stroked over Allen's cheek gently, urging him to try and sleep a little more.

Hearing his team referred to as ‘people who care about you’ made Allen smile softly. That was a nice way to put it. “I appreciate that babe.” He said with a small yawn, “I kinda need them for work.”

Sleep did sound amazing, and he was already a little drowsy...he leaned easily against Sixty and dozed off within a few minutes.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sixty takes Allen home for some good ol Rest and Recuperation

By the time Allen was cleared to go home, Sixty was a little jittery. He had called in to say he needed some time off and promised he would work on the reports and journals he had been allowed to take home.

It was Nines who offered to drive them home, the comfort of a familiar car better than a taxi. The ride itself was spent in relative silence, Allen and Sixty in the back.

"Home sweet home," he announced as they stepped through the door.

Allen could almost feel the nervous energy coming off of Sixty on the ride back to his place, and he wasn't sure why he was so nervous. Sure, Allen was a little apprehensive about being a burden for the next week or so until he was properly on his feet. But why was Sixty jittery?

Allen kept his calm as Nines dropped them off, thanking the youngest brother with a smile. Then it was just a short tiring walk and they were standing alone together inside.

"Thanks for having me." Allen replied, wrapping an arm around his boyfriend's waist.

It was all too easy to press a kiss to Allen's cheek from their position and smile shyly.

"I just hope you don't get sick of me. Can I get you anything? A drink maybe?"

He was bustling towards the kitchen, only halting a few steps away to wait for Allen's answer.

Allen smiled and tutted at Sixty, insisting “That’s my line. I think we’re gonna do just fine.” He paused and decided “Maybe some water. Gotta stay hydrated.”

Allen was usually pretty fastidious about keeping himself in top condition, and that counted for when he was sick too. He slowly made his way to the sofa and settled in with a few small winces.

Bringing the water back, along with a few painkillers, Sixty sat on the sofa, a small but palpable gap between them.

"You make yourself at home. I'll grab you remotes and the like. The bed will be kinder on your injuries." He offered Allen a tentative grip to the shoulder. "You can take the bed while you're here and I'll stay on the sofa. Don't want to hurt you while cuddling."

Allen noticed the gap and didn’t say anything, but when Sixty said he was going to sleep on his own sofa for like a week he frowned. “Hey, slow down...I don’t think a little cuddle will re-break my collarbone. I don’t want you out here on the sofa in your own home.”

"I'm just worried for you, okay?" Sixty squirmed and tried not to scratch at his chest where it itched. "You might want some time to yourself, I'm trying to give you that."

Allen was right though, cuddles wouldn't break anything or offset bones but they might still be uncomfortable. And for Sixty too, depending on the position.

Allen’s frown deepened as he watched Sixty squirm, worrying more himself. “I know, I just don’t like you putting yourself out like this for me...especially when it’s your house. If I need alone time I’ll ask for it, okay?” He said, watching his boyfriend carefully.

The way Allen cared was all too sweet. It had Sixty reaching to cup his cheek, trying to hide the wince as it pulled on some skin.

"For the time being, it's our house." A bout of shyness had him ducking his head. "If that's okay with you?"

Allen’s frown melted away into a soft smile as Sixty changed his demeanor. “I think I’d like that.” He admitted, turning himself as best he could to reciprocate the kiss.

Maybe it was early in the relationship, but they had known each other for a while before this...

The kiss got a bit more heated and Sixty's moan turned into a whine of pain and he moved Allen's hand off his chest.

"Careful." He pulled away with a blush dusting his cheeks.

Allen pulled away with a mixture of disappointment and curiosity in his mind. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” He asked, sudden worry flashing in his mind.

Fingers fiddling with his shirt buttons, Sixty peered up at Allen.

"Promise you won't laugh?" He was already undoing his shirt even as he spoke, revealing the outline of his most recent tattoo.

Allen nodded and watched carefully as Sixty pulled open his shirt to reveal the tattoo. His first instinct was - oh my god that’s really permanent and really early. But as his brain caught up with his heart, he took in the shape of the death figure on its motorcycle and smiled.

“God that looks so fucking good on you.” Allen said, not able to tear his eyes away from the piece.

"I know it's soon but...." Sixty smiled weakly. "But seeing you on the ground after coming off your bike. Well, no matter how long this thing between us lasts, I wanted a reminder of you. Because you were the first to steal my heart. And that deserves a memento - the ones you leave fade too quick."

He looked down at the outlines of the tattoo, skin still red. It had only been done the previous day, the outline done but yet to be filled in. Sixty thought he might keep it all black, the only monochrome tattoo and it would match Allen.

Allen felt a strange surge of emotion as Sixty explained - a tightening in his chest and throat like he was going to cry. Maybe the crash had messed with his head after all. For a long moment he was silent, taking in the sight of the tattoo and the weight of Sixty’s words, before he leaned in for another gentle kiss, his hand cupping Sixty’s neck.

“Have I ever told you how wonderful you are?” Allen murmured as he pulled away, “That is probably the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

Watching Allen with wonder, Sixty couldn’t help the little chuckle which escaped him.

"If that's the sweetest thing that's been said to you, you're hanging out with the wrong crowd." He looked down at the tattoo again. "You sure this doesn't weird you out? I'm not doing it because I want to declare I love you or anything clingy like that." Perhaps he was trying to make too many excuses and explanations here. Sixty wondered whether he was trying to convince himself or Allen at this point.

Allen chuckled as well, shaking his head and bringing the hand on Sixty’s neck to cup his cheek. He gently guided his boyfriend’s face up to look at him instead of down at the tattoo. “Sixty. Babe. Stop overthinking it. It’s cool as hell, thoughtful, and most of all it’s your body.” He said, “So you’re allowed to put whatever  _ you _ want to on there.”

There was a reason all of Sixty's tattoos were mostly on his chest and back. All in easy to hide places, where only those he wanted to see actually would. What Allen had said about it being his body and doing what he wanted with it, while he knew it was true, it was the first time anyone had ever told him that.

"You're far too good to me," he mumbled, leaning into Allen's touch. "Want to watch something and cuddle?" He needed a bit of silence to sort his thoughts out before he said something truly stupid and embarrassing.

Allen felt like they were both a little emotionally vulnerable right now, so he didn’t mind the offer of taking a little breather. What he really wanted to do was kiss Sixty senseless, but with both of them in pain that was probably a bad idea.

“Sure.” Allen said with a smile, thumb rubbing gentle patterns onto his boyfriend’s cheek, “Pick something out, and we can snuggle up here.”

Of all the things to pick, Sixty didn't mean to pick a film with an emotionally intense sex scene but there they were, cuddled up on the sofa, eyes glued to the screen and unable to look away.

"I promise I did not know this was going to be in the film," he croaked, a little hoarse. A little timid, he dared peer up at Allen.

Allen was trying very hard not to squeeze Sixty closer as the two actors on screen made passionate love. He could feel the flush on his cheeks and could only hope that it was too dim for Sixty to notice...god, what with all the injuries and things it had been a while since he had gotten off. 

Keeping as straight a face as he could manage, Allen summoned up a chuckle and said “I mean I’m not  _ not _ enjoying it”

That could be taken in so many ways, Sixty didn't quite know what to think as he turned scarlet.

"Does it- Do you-" he couldn't find the right words as he stumbled over it. There were probably too many questions on his mind to even pick one. From whether Allen was getting turned on and needed relief to whether he wanted Sixty to help with it. All the way through to whether Allen was imaging them making love liked that. If that was even something they could be capable of doing or if what was being depicted held more emotion than Allen had for Sixty.

The more time Allen spent around Sixty, the more he was becoming familiar with the signs that Sixty was overthinking and freaking himself out. Gently, Allen set a hand on his boyfriend’s thigh and squeezed, hoping the soft pressure would be a reassurance.

“Whatever you’re worrying about, don’t.” He said, shooting Sixty a reassuring smile, “I would totally be down to do something right now but if you’re uncomfortable or worried that’s fine. I’m not going to end up back in the hospital if we  _ do _ fool around a bit though.”

There was a distinct chance that Sixty had never pressed pause on a film quicker. He'd been craving intimacy of any kind with Allen since the accident. Some physical reassurance but he hadn't dared ask. Twisting, he straddled Allen's lap, hands on the backrest of the sofa, carefully clear of any injuries and he leaned down to slot their lips together for a kiss.

"Please can I blow you?" he asked sweetly. "Talk me through how you like it again?"

Allen moaned into the kiss as he suddenly had Sixty’s weight on his lap like that. The warmth and pressure on his already interested dick was making him want more already. His hands automatically tried to rest on Sixty’s waist, leading to a wince as his one shoulder protested sharply.

“You ask so sweet, baby, I can’t say no to that.” Allen purred, good hand rubbing at his hip, “I would be more than happy to talk you through it.”

Reaching for the sore arm, Sixty made sure the sling was still in place across Allen's chest before slithering down to pull the sweatpants off. He let out a soft breath as Allen's cock came into view, already half hard.

Settling back on his heels, Sixty stared up at Allen with wide eyes. "What would you like? Shall I take you between my lips? Or swallow you down and work you up to full hardness?"

The sudden thought of Sixty on his knees patiently waiting for Allen to get hard hit him like a freight train, and his cock twitched ever so slightly. Maybe cockwarming was something they could talk about later. For now, he did his best to relax and spread his legs to make room for Sixty to settle in comfortably. 

“Take me in as far as you can, darling. Start slow though, I like a nice buildup.”

Obedient, Sixty leaned forward, keeping his hands on his thighs unless Allen told him otherwise. Opening his mouth, he licked along Allen's length, dipping lower to tongue along his balls too, loving the way they tightened under his touch.

Despite himself, he let out a little moan as his lips closed over the tip of Allen's cock, tongue circling it playfully before slipping lower, pulling up a little, each bob going a little deeper, helped by the way his spit wet the skin. Being only half hard, he could actually get all of Allen in his mouth, only pulling back a little as he started to fill out.

Allen hadn’t expected Sixty to only do as he was told, so he hadn’t thought far enough to worry about the hands yet. Sixty’s warm mouth on his cock didn’t exactly help either, a soft sigh that was half a moan escaping at the sensation. Allen’s own hand was planted firmly on his own thigh so that he wouldn’t be tempted to put it in Sixty’s hair again.

“That’s it, you’re doing so good. Use that tongue some more.” He praised, shifting slightly to make sure he was in a comfortable position.

The praise made Sixty's eyes flutter shut and he happily obeyed Allen's orders. He rolled his tongue against the underside of his cock and let out a whine. Not really surprised by the fact that he was growing hard in his pants, he tried to please Allen with his actions. Pulling off until only the tip was in his mouth again, Sixty gave it a couple of kitten licks before taking a breath and going as far down as he dared.

Allen groaned out Sixty’s name as he tried to go deeper, forcing himself to keep from thrusting into that wet heat. “Okay, yeah, that’s good...” he continued to praise and direct, but his voice had gone breathy. He wasn’t going to last for too long given how keyed up he was. 

“You can use your hands, go a little faster, just like that...” Allen instructed, already done teasing himself and wanting  _ more. _

Both hands came up. One to gently play with Allen's balls, the other wrapped around what wouldn't fit in his mouth. Once comfortable again, Sixty upped the pace as requested, his hand squeezing a little on each upstroke. The taste of precome was coating his tongue and he was uncertain whether he liked it or not but he pushed on, wanting to make Allen happy. It had become his sole focus, the voice guiding him through giving pleasure. Nothing else mattered. It was a frame of mind Sixty sank into all too easily and he whined a little, wanting Allen's voice in his ear.

Honestly if Allen’s brain wasn’t a complete fog of pleasure right now, he would have felt bad for the fact that Sixty was doing this all without a condom. He clearly didn’t have any experience with cum or precum so the taste was probably weird. Unfortunately, Allen was not in a mindset to discuss that or apologize.

Instead, he was already close to coming, his fingers digging into his own thigh to keep his hips from bucking or jerking. He kept up a steady stream of praise for Sixty as he went, noticing that he would whine or falter if he stopped talking.

But once Allen felt his orgasm start to build his voice started to break as he gasped and moaned. “I’m close, I’m gonna - you can just -“ he tried to say that Sixty could just pull his mouth off and finish with his hand but it didn’t quite work.

Mouth suddenly flooding with bitter come, Sixty pulled away and coughed. He fought the gag valiantly but his eyes watered and he spat, uncaring of the carpet. Through it all, at least he'd managed to keep his hand moving around Allen's cock, working him through his orgasm. Another few splatters of come landed on his cheek and neck where he had turned away. It also served as a harsh way to snap out of the daze he had slipped into. Panting a little, he kept his head dipped, hair falling out of its usual style to hide his face.

"Fuck," he gasped. "I am so sorry."

Hearing Sixty cough and gag kind of ruined the orgasm for Allen, who fought to not just relax into the waves of pleasure trying to cloud his mind. It still took him a few moments before he could recover and move, leaning down and wiping clumsily at Sixty’s face to try and get the come off. 

“No no, I’m sorry, I tried to warn you but it was too late.” Allen said, panting a little himself as his body tried to figure out whether it should be producing adrenaline or endorphins. He felt terrible seeing Sixty so upset and clearly not enjoying himself.

"What? No!" Sixty tried to sort through his words. "I thought I'd ruined your orgasm. There's no sexy way of tasting come for the first time."

He laughed a little and rested his unbruised cheek against Allen's knee.

"Took both of us to misinterpret and ruin that." He felt a bit silly so he did the simplest thing. Rising up on his knees, he kissed Allen.

Allen let out a sigh of relief and relaxed his posture. Lately it felt like he had really been fucking it up with Sixty and blowjobs, so he was at least glad this time his boyfriend wasn’t upset or panicking.

“Yeah it’s easy to misinterpret stuff when your brain is trying to shut off.” He admitted with a tired chuckle. He gladly kissed Sixty when he rose up, murmuring soft thanks against his lips.

Standing up, Sixty followed Allen, not quite sure why. It just seemed like the right thing to do. Perhaps his brain wasn't functioning as well as he had anticipated.

"Where are we going?"

“I need to get cleaned up, then I want to help you get yourself off. That sound okay to you?” Allen asked, his own legs a bit unsteady but determined to treat Sixty right.

A small whimper of hope got caught in Sixty's throat. He had been hoping he'd earned his own orgasm but hadn't wanted to ask. Not after he had managed to ruin Allen's one. That thought made him realise he was definitely not his usual self. A little scared he'd drop like the time after their tryst in his office, he reached for Allen's hand.

"Please?" He didn't quite know what he was asking for but he hoped Allen would understand all the same.

Allen was suddenly worried for Sixty when he heard that little whimper. His mind went back to all that talk about getting into the sub zone or whatever, and he decided he was going to do whatever he needed to make sure Sixty felt good and didn’t get upset.

Bringing Sixty’s hand up to kiss the knuckles, Allen reassured him “Absolutely. I’ll take good care of you, I’m going to make sure you feel good.” As they approached the bathroom he had a sudden idea. 

“While I get clean, why don’t you tell me about your favorite sex toy? The one you use that makes you feel best.”

Settling down on the edge of the bathtub, Sixty watched Allen start to clean himself up. He mulled over the question before taking a deep breath.

"You've already seen it. Well, both of them. There's the glass plug and a set of steel beads. You expressed an interest in the plug some time ago."

Allen had to smile at that, letting out a genuine “aww” sound. “You brought your favorites for me to try that first night? Sixty, that’s really sweet.” Yeah it was kinda weird, but for some reason Allen found it insanely endearing.

Toweling dry, Allen held out his hand for his boyfriend, leading them into the bedroom. “If you’re okay with it, I’d like to kind of...tell you what to do while you use the plug and jerk yourself off.”

That sounded amazing. Sixty nodded and let Allen usher them into the bedroom and onto the bed. He was utterly pliant to Allen's will, letting him control everything from what happened next to Sixty's pleasure. All but mute with desire, Sixty turned large, hopeful eyes to Allen.

"The toys are in the bedside drawer," he said.

Allen was more used to having control in the bedroom, although maybe not to this degree. Sixty looked so fucking pretty sitting there on the bed though, Allen’s heart did a flip flop in his chest. 

“Get undressed, and get comfortable, okay darling? Can you do that for me?” He asked, voice soft and soothing as he opened the drawer and found the toy as well as the lube.

Clothes were carefully put to the side and Sixty settled back on the bed. It would probably be easier to use a toy and pleasure himself like that rather than on all fours. Though, if Allen asked for it, he could probably manage. While he waited for Allen's next instructions, he watched him intently, wondering which toy was going to be picked.

Allen walked over and set the plug and lube next to Sixty on the bed, unable to resist setting a hand on his knee and squeezing just a bit. “You’re so fucking gorgeous.” He murmured, taking in the sight spread out for him, “Why don’t you touch yourself a little bit for me, just to get started.”

Usually, Sixty would have rebelled, deliberately gone against the orders just to get a rise. Or he thought he would have done anyway, he'd always considered himself a bit of a brat. But now, he was filled with contentment that he could do as Allen told him.

He wasn't sure what Allen had meant about touching himself so Sixty made a choice. A couple of fingers trailed over his half hard shaft, teased at pulling back his foreskin before going lower, over his balls to lightly circle his hole, teasing just the way he liked it.

Partly Allen just wanted to see Sixty pleasuring himself because he deserved to feel good, but it was partly research as well. This was a chance to see what his boyfriend liked. Plus, Allen’s arm was out of commission and his chest hurt, so this was easier for right now.

“That’s good, just like that.” He murmured, watching from where he had sat down on the edge of the bed, “Do you want to get filled up? Or just teased a little?”

Choices were not something Sixty had expected to be given and his mind reeled into a blank vortex as he tried to think.

"Filled," he finally managed to cry out, hoping he had given the correct answer.

His hand stopped and started again hesitantly, the pleasure slowly spreading, haltingly stripping him of anything but the need to show Allen how good he could be.

Allen was starting to realize that choice wasn't what Sixty needed. He was going to have to put on his big boy pants and control the situation. 

"Good boy." He praised, "Let's get you filled up then. Start opening yourself up for the plug, just go slow with your fingers." He wanted to reach out and touch, but stopped himself.

He'd been called good. Sixty sighed at the praise and slowly pressed against his hole, eliciting a whine at the dryness of it.

"Lube?" he managed to ask, staring imploringly at Allen. At a push, he might be able to use spit but that never seemed to be slick and long lasting enough for him.

“Hold out your hand, I’ll give you some.” Allen instructed, grabbing the bottle and popping open the cap. He didn’t want to add fumbling around with the lube bottle to Sixty’s already taxed brain’s list of tasks. 

Squeezing a generous amount out into Sixty’s hand, Allen said “When you need more, hold out your hand again, okay?”

Sixty could manage a nod. He returned his fingers to his hole and pressed two in without hesitation, head thrown back and neck one long line on a silent whine.

The desire to show off for Allen was starting to war with his need to build his pleasure. Uncertain when he'd closed his eyes, he forced them open and stared pleadingly at Allen even as he worked a third finger into himself, wishing it was something more.

Allen’s breath hitched at how easily and quickly Sixty opened himself up. He was gorgeous like this, even more so than usual. Allen’s own cock was starting to take interest, despite his strange half failed orgasm earlier.

“Perfect, you’re so confident with your body darling.” Allen encouraged, shifting closer to he could watch every single movement Sixty made, “I think you’re already ready to start working the plug in.” He picked it up and drizzled some lube on it, handing it over to Sixty with more confidence than he actually felt.

The plug was cold in his hand and Sixty bit his lip as he lined it up, loving its contrast against Allen's warm hand back on his knee.

It was a toy he was familiar with, knew that once the slick glass passed the widest point it would probably slip out of his grip and settle suddenly in his body, a shock to the system that he adored riding through. To get to share that with Allen made it all the sweeter and his free hand reached for his boyfriend, throat caught on a whine that didn't have a sound.

Allen was entranced by the sight of the toy slowly working its way into Sixty. He swore, low and soft, as he watched the way Sixty clenched and then relaxed against the intrusion. That was hot as hell, why had he lived so long without introducing toys into his sex life?

When Sixty reached for him, Allen took his hand and squeezed, no questions asked. It was tempting to start stroking his own half hard cock in time with his boyfriend’s actions, but his pleasure could wait. This was about Sixty.

From the corner of his eye, Sixty saw Allen getting hard again and his eyes slipped shut to hide his delight. That was the moment the plug slipped in and his back arched with a soft gasp.

Full and hand now free, Sixty reached for Allen's cock, hoping he wasn't overstepping the bounds.

Allen let out a soft, pleased sound at the sight of Sixty arching like that. He was the perfect show. When Sixty’s hand reached out for his cock, Allen caught it and kissed the knuckles gently. “Not right now, darling. I want you to focus on yourself, okay? Give me a show, put your hands back on yourself.” He insisted gently.

Silently, Sixty nodded and his lips fell open as his eyes slipped shut. His hand slipped past his cock, ignored it in favour of rocking the plug in and out of himself. Hopefully, Allen found the show enticing, maybe even enough to want to replace the plug himself. 

The pleas were on the tip of his tongue but habit made them only shapes on his lips without noise. His hips lifted off the bed as he used the heel of his palm to grind the plug deeper into himself.

Allen  _ absolutely _ found the show enticing. It felt like he was getting his own private show, almost something he shouldn’t be seeing. Something he knew no one else had ever seen before. Oh fuck, that was hot. Moreso because of the intimacy and trust involved.

“Keep talking, baby, don’t keep quiet. I want to hear all those lovely noises” Allen encouraged, wanting very much to be in the place of that plug but knowing the motion and angle of thrusting like that would probably make his collarbone hurt like hell.

Thinking coherently was proving tricky and speaking was almost impossible. Still, Sixty licked his dry lips and tried his best.

"Let me ride you." His voice was soft, barely above a whisper but it had to be enough. "I need you."

That request hit Allen squarely in the gut. He didn’t think he had wanted anything more in a while. “Okay, yeah, fuck yeah.” He murmured, getting his brain wrapped around the logistics. 

“Where are your condoms? Just point me in the right direction.” Allen asked, not wanting a repeat of the previous orgasm, where unexpected come had ruined it.

Sitting up caused the plug to nestle deeper into Sixty and he swallowed back a groan.

"No condom." He tried to gently urge Allen onto his back, eager to feel him already. "Just you."

Allen swallowed hard, his dick twitching with need suddenly. “Alright, alright, I’ve got you.” He agreed, leaning back as Sixty pushed at him. It was a little tricky at first, but soon Allen was comfortably on his back slicking his cock with the lube he had grabbed before he moved.

Need burned through Sixty and be straddled Allen's hips. Taking his hand, he guided it to the toy, urging him to pull it out.

He set his hands on either side of Allen's head, not caring he was smearing lube on the pillows. Feeling a bit cheeky, he stole a panting kiss.

Allen’s hips were already starting to jerk up towards Sixty as he settled in, wanting to bury himself in the tight heat he knew was coming soon. He grasped the toy eagerly, pulling it out as quickly as he thought would still be comfortable.

Allen moaned low and soft into the kiss, immediately opening his mouth to invite Sixty in.

Even though the toy came out a little quick, Sixty was too far gone to care about the momentary twinge. A soft stream of "yes" rumbled through his chest as he eagerly sank down on Allen's cock.

"Oh god, you feel amazing," he murmured against Allen's temple, slowly starting to grind against him.

Allen knew they both were a little eager, so he hadn’t exactly taken his time. Which he would absolutely have felt bad about if he wasn’t immediately overwhelmed by Sixty sinking down onto him. A low hiss of “ _ fuuuuuck _ ” escaped Allen’s lips, and his head flopped back onto the pillow.

This was heavenly.

“You feel incredible too” Allen managed to say, his free arm stroking reverently up and down Sixty’s flank.

His side was ticklish and Sixty gently laced his fingers with Allen's and brought them to his lips for a kiss.

"I want to be good for you," he muttered as he slowly picked up the pace, changing from grinding to rising up before sinking down on trembling thighs.

Allen squeezed Sixty’s fingers when they laced with his, grinning lazily up at him. Every slide of Sixty’s hips sent pleasure pulsing through Allen’s system, and he got to watch his beautiful boyfriend the whole time. 

“You’re so good for me.” He encouraged, “You feel heavenly, fuck yourself on my cock just the way you like it.”

The words seared themselves into Sixty's brain and he nodded, muscles bunching as he began to ride Allen in earnest.

As silent as he usually was, Sixty couldn't hold back the keen when he dropped a little heavier and Allen's cock pressed deep into him. He was so close already, desire pooling low in his belly, muscles growing tight.

"So close. So close," he whispered.

Every little noise Sixty made was music to Allen’s ears. He wished there were more. He did his best to thrust up into the downward strokes Sixty was making, aiming to get lucky and hit his prostate, or at least go as deep as possible. 

His hand was squeezing Sixty’s tightly, his own orgasm very close. “That’s good, so perfect. Let me see you.” Allen gritted out, looking up at his boyfriend with an expression filled with lust.

Pushing to sit up, Sixty's head tipped back, hands landing on the bed behind him. The change in angle meant it only took a few less than controlled bounces before everything fell away and all that mattered was pressing down against the cock buried deep in him, tensing around it.

Allen groaned out Sixty's name as he watched him come undone, the pressure and just the sight of him enough to have him coming as well. His back arched up off the bed against his will, the blend of pleasure and pain heady enough to make his head swim.

The way Allen arched below him was probably painful but Sixty's mind was too clouded by pleasure to do anything about it. Panting, he kept rocking through his orgasm, wringing little shivers as it bordered on too much.

Head tipping down, he gave a lazy, lopsided smile to Allen.

"I think I just came my brains out."


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has it all! Confronting the aftermath of barebacking, sad backstories, caretaking, and kink negotiations, oh my!

This position was definitely painful, but somehow it didn't even matter to Allen. At least not until the pleasure began to fade into a fuzzy warmth, and he was suddenly incredibly aware of his chest throbbing and his oversensitive cock still trapped inside of Sixty. 

But none of that mattered when he looked up and saw Sixty looking so pleased with himself. Allen smiled back, his hand coming up to pat at Sixty's thigh as he said "You looked so good doing it, I don't think anyone can blame you."

The neediness was fading but Sixty couldn't bear to separate from Allen yet. The self satisfied smile turned into something more shy at the praise.

"Did you enjoy it too?" He slowly ran feather light fingers over Allen's chest, wordlessly trying to ask how he was feeling.

"Oh  _ hell _ yeah I did." Allen replied with a soft chuckle, "This was so hot, I'm pretty sure you blew my brains as well." It was even more of a treat given his previously half ruined orgasm earlier, but he wasn't going to mention that.

Preening under the praise, Sixty squirmed a little. What he didn't know was what to do next. He wanted to cuddle but didn't know how to ask for it without sounding clingy. Cleaning up would probably be a good idea too, given how much of a mess he had managed to make of his and Allen's chest and stomach.

"What now?" He asked, still a little unsteady on choices and needing a bit of guidance, as well as reassurance.

Allen squirmed a bit as well when Sixty moved like that, still on the sensitive side. Squeezing his thigh reassuringly, Allen smiled up at his boyfriend, not bothering to hide the fondness in his gaze.

"First, you stop thinking so hard." He said gently, "Then we'll go and get cleaned up, cause I'm gonna need your help with that." Allen jerked his head towards his sling at that, which was already starting to annoy him. "Then we can get back in this bed together."

It took a bit of maneuvering to clamber off Allen and not knee him awkwardly in any way. However, Sixty did have the less than pleasant discovery of lube and come dripping down the inside of his leg and he made a surprised little squeal of a noise at it, mortified that it happened.

Allen pushed himself up into a sitting position with a grunt when Sixty got off of him, his chest complaining at the movement. The little squeal was kind of adorable, a fact Allen had to work hard to avoid showing on his face. 

“That’s normal without a condom.” He explained, trying to soothe Sixty, “Sorry, should have explained better but you were too tempting in the moment.”

Logically, Sixty knew that it was normal. He was the one with the more in-depth knowledge about anatomy after all.

"I know." He blushed hard. "It's just a lot that came out. And I didn't think it would come back out too quick."

The bathroom was far enough away that he was trying to figure out whether an awkward, clenching waddle or a mad dash would cause less of a mess. Not like either would look particularly appealing to an onlooker.

"How do you normally deal with it?"

Allen had to bite back any lewd comments on the tip of his tongue, because he could tell Sixty was embarrassed. He had to remember that despite all his 'experience', Sixty was just barely not a virgin any more. 

"Well...Usually I just get up and head to the bathroom, mess be damned." He admitted with a chuckle, "Or I can go and get you a washrag to wipe off with so you don't have to deal with any stray drips."

"I'm not going to think it's gross either way." Allen thought to reassure him.

The idea of Allen getting him a washcloth was both appealing and objectionable. On one hand, it would be amazing to be looked after like that but at the same time, it did mean separating for a short while. On the other hand, Allen had already asked for help in cleaning up so Sixty was going to do his best to help. The solution crystallised in his mind.

"Lead the way." He gestured gallantly. With Allen up front, he wouldn’t bear witness to anything untoward that Sixty could find embarrassing.

Allen was surprised that Sixty hadn't taken him up on the offer, but he wasn't going to say anything. Instead, he resolved to just spoil him as much as he could once they were snuggled up again.

"Is this all just a ploy to see my ass?" Allen teased as he stood up and stretched his stiff legs, throwing Sixty a grin over his shoulder as he got to the bathroom door.

It wasn't his intended plan but it was certainly a benefit.

"Just hold still a second!" Sixty pitched his voice as something semi-urgent. "Okay, now tilt your hip to the left a little. And lean forward." The giggles were starting to show through, no matter how hard he tried to subdue them. "Perfect. That's a great angle for you. You may keep walking now."

Allen was grinning as he gladly obeyed the orders, even giving his ass a little extra wiggle for good measure. It was good to hear Sixty giggling like that. Allen liked it a lot, actually.

"Any other poses I should strike?" He teased, leaning up against the bathroom sink.

Eyes dark with appreciation, Sixty stepped closer to Allen and leaned down to kiss him thoroughly.

"You look perfect just the way you are," he murmured softly. Reaching behind Allen, he picked up a cloth and wet it. Keeping eye contact, he began to wipe down Allen's stomach and chest.

Allen gasped softly into the kiss, not expecting the undercurrent of passion that Sixty brought to the light mood they had set. He watched Sixty with a soft smile on his lips as he cleaned him, enjoying the gentle contact. 

"You're too good to me."

"Sometimes, I try," Sixty quipped with a snicker. His head was starting to feel more like it was his again. The cleaning up between kisses and soft touches was definitely helping. "How are you feeling after such a workout? Need any painkillers?"

Once he was clean, Allen swapped their roles, grabbing a new washcloth and starting to wipe down Sixty. He leaned in along the way to press a few gentle kisses to place where there was a particularly interesting collection of freckles.

"I could probably take a painkiller." Allen admitted, "My chest and my shoulder are complaining a bit. But it was so worth it."

The kisses were nice, left a tingling imprint behind which Sixty wished he could keep forever.

"You don't have to clean me up," he chided but made no move to squirm away. "I should be the one looking after you."

He crowded against Allen for a few kisses, made impossible by their smiles. In the end, Sixty rested their foreheads together.

"Get on the bed and I'll grab you some meds."

“We’ll have to share the responsibility of caring for each other I think” Allen rumbled happily, thoroughly enjoying the casual intimacy of this moment. He felt better than he ever had after an orgasm. 

“Thank you darling.” Allen replied, nosing at Sixty’s neck and clearly loathe to separate. He was still pressed as close to his boyfriend as possible with the sling in the way.

They couldn't stay like that forever. Reluctantly, Sixty pulled away.

"Back to bed with you. I'll be along shortly."

He left after one more quick kiss and made his way to the kitchen. A quick look at the pills Allen had been given had him reaching for the fridge. Those meds on an empty stomach were a sure way to cause more problems. Digging around, he crowed triumphantly and put his spoils on a tray. Topped off with a glass of water. Balancing it all carefully, he made his way back to the bedroom.

"Room service!"

Allen dragged himself back to bed, the exhaustion and the ache from his injuries setting in seemingly all at once. He wanted nothing more than to lay down and cuddle up with his boyfriend while he fell asleep.

Well, maybe the room service tray was a little tempting, Allen perking up slightly from his throne of pillows. "Oh fuck yeah, you're the best!" He murmured, stomach suddenly making it known that it was in dire need of food.

"Oh, I know!" Sixty grinned brightly. He settled on the bed next to Allen with a soft groan. "Can you feed yourself? Or do I need to slip back in the nurse costume?"

While he was teasing, he was still prepared to help Allen. Most of the things on the tray should have been fairly easy to eat one handed but still. There were cubes of melon, cold cuts of meat along with granary bread and a bar of chocolate as a treat to top it all off.

Allen laughed at that and immediately regretted it. "I think we should save the nurse costume for when I can actually enjoy it." He replied, thinking back to last time when he had been very unsexy the whole time. 

"I think I should be able to manage." Allen said, reaching for a piece of meat and folding it slowly and carefully onto a piece of bread. It was slow going with one hand, but he was managing.

Watching Allen eat was somehow immensely satisfying somehow. He still looked pale and not quite as sturdy as his usual self but being able to care for him filled Sixty with warmth. The silence was getting to him though, wanting to keep chattering away rather than getting lost in his own head.

"I spoke to Connor again. He really is genuinely sorry. Says he is going to work on better dealing with his anger and frustration. He doesn't want history repeating itself."

Perhaps he had said too much there, Sixty wasn't sure. Maybe Allen wasn't quite with it enough to pick up on that.

Allen didn't mind the silence, plus he wasn't quite in the right mood to just fill it with idle chatter. But when Sixty spoke he couldn't say he minded. Besides, when he spoke up it was either something silly and amusing or something actually serious. So either way Allen was interested. 

"I'm glad you got to make up with him then." Allen said, genuinely glad that the two brothers were no longer at each other's throats, "I'm willing to give him another chance, for sure. Just...carefully, and slowly." He definitely caught that there was something lingering at the end of that sentence, but he wasn't sure how to ask. Instead, he gave Sixty a questioning look, tilting his head slightly.

It wasn't really Sixty's story to tell. Well, it was but not all of it. He couldn't really speak for Connor or Nines.

"I wouldn't say we made up as such. More that Nines and I sat him down and asked him what the fuck he was thinking. Why he was following in the footsteps of the bastard who raised us." He let out a heavy sigh and stole a cube of melon from the bowl. "We're going to be working together on keeping each other on track."

Ah, so there was a connection to their past after all. It had seemed so out of character for Connor to accuse him of being a domestic abuser, detective or not. Now Allen almost wished there wasn’t a reason, because it said bad things about Sixty’s past.

“I see...” he said quietly, “If there’s anything I can do to help support you, just let me know, okay? It sounds like a family affair, but I’m here for you.”

In part, Sixty was relieved Allen wasn't pressing for details. But at the same time, he couldn't help the small pang of disappointment that maybe Allen didn't care. Which actually hurt so he forced out a smile and fell back on old habits.

"You didn't think I became such an arrogant and insufferable dick in the military, did you?" He said, tone mocking.

Allen frowned when he heard that tone in Sixty’s voice. Setting down the piece of bread he had been trying to eat, he reached out and took his boyfriend’s hand. “You’re not an arrogant insufferable dick.” He corrected with a soft squeeze.

“I can’t tell if you want to talk about this right now or not.” Allen admitted, “But if you do, I’m all ears.”

If only Sixty knew what he wanted. He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Nobody really cared enough to ask before," he ended up saying. "Other than Connor and Nines, I'm not sure anyone even knows. Well, maybe Hank and Gavin have an idea but...I don't know if the others talk about it much."

Allen hummed softly, his thumb running soft circles over the back of Sixty's hand. "Well I definitely care." He said finally, "And because I care, I didn't want to push you to talk if it was going to upset you. Sorry if that came across as disinterest." The lack of care and interest in Sixty's life was rather distressing, honestly. It made Allen want to work even harder to make up for it.

A self-depreciating little huff was Sixty's only answer. He dipped his head away from Allen, hiding his face.

"I'm not even sure what there is to say. It's all in the past, nothing will change that. Is there anything you actually want to know?"

It was a big, open question. Allen could take anything he wanted and Sixty would try his hardest to give an honest answer. Whether Allen knew what kind of power he was being handed to wield was to be seen.

Allen’s heart twisted in sympathy yet again. He wanted to wrap Sixty up in his arms and never let go. Setting aside the tray of food, he reached out and gently pulled his boyfriend against his chest. A kiss was planted on the top of his head for good measure.

“I want to know more about what makes you you. And what’s important to you.” He reassured Sixty, “Good and bad. But maybe not all at once. Maybe you could tell me about what happened to make Connor act this way later...for now, I’d love to hear why you started riding bikes.”

That was certainly not a question Sixty anticipated and he looked up at Allen with slightly watery eyes.

"Army. It was going to be the thing I did without the approval of the other two." He smiled at the memory. "Learned to dodge IEDs in sand and do wheelies before I knew how to ride in traffic. I was so pissed when I got back and Connor had done the high speed chase course and was showing off.

"How about you?"

Tonight, after such a lovely time, and in pain, Allen wanted to avoid making Sixty bawl. He had a feeling that talking about his past with Connor was a good way to make that happen. So instead he had picked something he hoped would be a positive memory.

"Of course your big brother had to show you up." Allen chuckled, "I'd love to see you pop a wheelie one of these days though, sounds impressive." When asked the same question, he replied with little hesitation "Adrenaline junkie. I liked chasing the rush, and bikes were a good way to get that without going cliff jumping."

A small smile broke through and Sixty gave a barely audible laugh.

"If you thought Connor was bad, you should see Nines. He was the one to start riding and getting into trouble. We just joined him to keep him in line.

"But what's this about cliff jumping?" He was genuinely curious and wondered whether Allen would ever want to go do it together one day.

Allen chuckled in response, saying “If I didn’t know Nines regularly made out with Gavin for fun, I’d say you were lying. He looks so responsible, I would never have guessed he got you all into this.”

Allen grinned when Sixty asked about the cliff jumping, replying “When I was training, my whole class would go out and do wild shit like that. Cliff jumping, paragliding, ATVs....made for good team bonding.”

It also probably meant that it wasn't something he'd want to do with Sixty.

"Must have been nice. Team bonding in the army meant playing Go Fish to get the right body parts in a bag - the whole 'I have 2 left hands, will trade one for a right leg' kind of thing."

Shaking his head, he smiled as he thought about Nines. "You know, I think Nines and Gavin might actually be pretty serious. You didn't hear it from me but he might end up with a ring on his finger soon."

“Aw, that doesn’t sound like very much fun.” Allen said, patting Sixty sympathetically on the back, “Tell you what, if you ever wanna make up for lost time and do some proper team bonding, you let me know.” He punctuated the offer with a little wink. 

When Sixty mentioned Gavin and Nines being serious, Allen replied “I can’t say I’m  _ too _ surprised, Gavin’s a really serious guy under all the bluster...I think if Nines proposes he’ll probably cry and then never shut up about how he got a husband first.” The thought was enough to have Allen grinning, enjoying the idea thoroughly.

Nines with a husband was such a wild idea, Sixty couldn't help but shake his head at it. And it made a lot of sense that Gavin would be an insufferable, smug fool about it. Nudging the tray, he tried to get Allen to keep eating.

"Those two sound like they truly deserve each other," he mused. "Tell you what, next week, if you can tolerate my brothers for a couple of hours, we'll all go out to the old quarry. I should be able to ride by then and you might be comfortable enough to hitch a ride with me. Would you like that?"

Allen had kind of forgotten about eating in favor of comforting Sixty, so he was glad of the reminder, picking up a piece of melon and popping it into his mouth with a satisfied sigh. “Yeah, Gavin’s a good dude, and the more I talk to Nines the more I feel like he is too. Scary looking, but a good dude.”

The offer to go riding with Sixty and his brothers seemed like a clear offer to maybe clear the air between him and Connor, so Allen was loathe to turn it down. Getting to know his boyfriend’s brothers was important, after all. “Sounds great.” He agreed with a smile, “I’ll happily be your arm candy.”

The grin was harder to fight at the idea of riding in a larger group.

"If you behave, I'll even show you how to do a wheelie down some stairs. Bring ear protection with you though because Connor and Nines are going to yell at me for that."

He settled more comfortably against the headboard and watched Allen eat. If sex made him this emotionally liable, he wondered whether he should abstain from it. Given the choice between keeping Allen and good sex, he knew which he would pick every single time.

Sixty’s grin was infectious, and Allen was grinning along as he continued to eat. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve already been yelled at by your brother before, and it wasn’t my favorite.” He said, not sure if that was too far for teasing, but too relaxed to stop himself. 

Starting to get full, Allen offered Sixty a piece off of the tray, wanting to finish off the food but not wanting to make himself sick. Right now things felt perfect, so he was loathe to do anything that would impact his ability to snuggle up and fall asleep soon.

The offered food was unexpected and Sixty leaned to take it between his lips from Allen's fingers. On second thought, he probably should have taken it with his hands like a normal person. Too late now, he had done the damage. Flushing a little, he took a peek at Allen's face.

Allen’s grin softened into a fond sort of smile at Sixty’s cute reaction to casual intimacy. Again, adorable how unused to this sort of thing he was. 

“Did you like that? Want another piece?” He asked, very interested in doing that again and showing Sixty it was fine.

A soft shiver passed through Sixty at the idea of Allen wanting to feed him another piece. That was certainly a welcome thought and he nodded hesitantly.

"I sometimes forget what the acceptable level of kink is between two people then proceed to overthink things, you might have noticed." He admitted softly. "It's much easier to be kinky with someone in your own head than in reality."

Allen picked up another piece of melon and fed it to Sixty as he considered what the other man was saying. 

“I mean, I never would have considered this kinky.” Allen admitted, “I think maybe because I don’t have much experience with kink? This is the kind of casual intimacy I’m used to with a partner.”

Point proven. Sixty had no idea what was actually kinky and what wasn't by regular standards.

"Well, you know more than I do. Seems I don't know the line between kinky and intimate." He looked at Allen curiously. "Where do you draw that line?"

Allen hummed thoughtfully, admitting “I guess previously I had thought kink was just sexual stuff, but now I get the feeling it can be more. I’m not sure where I’d draw that line now honestly.”

There was something infinitely reassuring by the fact that Allen seemed as lost as Sixty was. Only, Allen sounded absolutely unconcerned about it, perhaps Sixty needed to stop worrying about it too. He munched thoughtfully on the melon he'd been fed.

"Heedless of lines and the like. Is there anything you have thought of that you might like to experience?"

Allen was in general a man who worried very little. He worried about the people around him, but about what would happen or how things would go, not as much. 

“Intimacy or kink wise?” He asked, wanting to make sure they were on the same page, “Cause with intimacy I’m all in. I love that shit, I’m a snuggly bitch. Steal my clothes, ride on my bike, share food, all that good stuff.”

The idea of stealing Allen's clothes filed Sixty with a warm wave of excitement. He'd quite enjoyed wearing his shirt all that time ago.

"You'd trust me to ride your bike?" That idea struck him in the chest somehow. It seemed more intimate than any of the other things Allen had suggested.

Allen nodded, replying “Yeah, of course. You’re a good rider. And you clearly care about me and my bike so...” It was a big offer, but to Allen it just made sense. He found himself smiling without really realizing it.

“What about you? Are there any boyfriend things you’ve been dying to try out?”

It was Sixty's turn to blush lightly as he thought about all the things he wanted to do with someone but never got the chance to.

"I've never been to the cinema and sat in the back row with someone before. To hold hands in the dark."

It sounded so silly, especially when he and Allen had just spent the evening cuddled on the sofa watching something. But it was still a bit different to do it in the cinema.

Allen’s smile broadened into a grin. That was the cutest thing he had ever heard, plus Sixty looked best when he was blushing like that. 

“You just tell me what movies you like to watch, and we can make it happen.” Allen assured him.

Somehow, Allen had a certain skill of making things seem so simple and easy. A shrug of a shoulder and it was okay. It was one of the many things Sixty appreciated about him.

"I'm pretty easy. But if it's a film about war, just know that I will not shut up through it all about all the mistakes they make. Same with anything to do autopsies.

Allen was coming to love fulfilling Sixty’s little requests. It made him feel like a superhuman when he got to make his boyfriend happy like that. Especially over something so simple as going to the movies together.

He laughed, saying “Maybe for our second movie date I’ll take you to see some war movie just to hear your analysis. But we should keep it chill for the first one, to get maximum hand holding time in.”

Words eluded Sixty, he wasn't sure quite how to respond to that so he twined their fingers together, elated at the prospect of more than one cinema date.

"Is there any dream or wish of yours that I could help fulfil? It would only seem fair." He really hoped that there was something he could do in return for his boyfriend.

Allen squeezed back happily, sensing that Sixty was pleased. He paused for a few moments as he thought about that question. It was weird, he didn’t have any particular dreams in mind...

“Okay, this is gonna sound weird, but the team has game nights...everybody brings snacks and usually their partner. I’ve never really dated anyone I wanted to take so...only if you’re interested.”

Nobody before had wanted to spend time with Sixty, let alone have him along as a partner to show off.

"You sure you'd want to take me of all people along?" His voice was pitched low, scared that any louder and he would shatter whatever illusion he had managed to conjure up. Because Allen had dated before, had probably had partners for longer than he and Sixty had been dating. But for Sixty to be the first with an invite to a games night? It seemed surreal.

Allen nodded, not teasing or making any jokes because he could tell just how scared Sixty was. “Absolutely. I think you’d like the team, and vice versa. If they don’t tease you too bad.” He said earnestly, “You can always tap out if they make you uncomfortable, no matter how well intentioned it is.” 

Allen had certainly had long term dates before, but it had just never seemed like the kind of person he’d want the team to meet. But Sixty...Sixty was different. Allen wanted to show him off, not to mention build his confidence.

Pride would never let Sixty tap out, he knew that. But he was also curious and eager to maybe make Allen proud.

"What games do you play?" He had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't the kind of games he had learnt to play in the army.

Allen was also thinking that, and already wondering how he would make sure Sixty didn’t get overwhelmed. He knew just how wild his team could get at times...

“Any games. Card, board, video...” Allen explained with a smile, “And they’re all the type to be eager to teach you anything you don’t know how to play.”

"As long as it's not Hide and Seek or It, I will play anything. Even something SWAT IQ level worthy, like Snap," Sixty teased."Though Spoons might be more their kind of thing."

Sixty let out a content little snuffle as he moved the tray to the side. Things between him and Allen were going surprisingly well. Some part of him should have been alarmed that he was suggesting a joint venture to the quarry while Allen was inviting him to meet the team. However, all Sixty felt was a hum of excitement at both prospects.

Allen laughed at that, although he was fast running out of energy and it showed. "That kinda comment'll get you demolished by the team." He warned. The idea of Sixty properly meeting his team was both exciting and nerve-wracking. A bit like meeting his family, which he supposed was only fair given how much he had already met Sixty's. 

Allen yawned and sort of wiggled into a more comfortable position on the bed. He really wanted to position Sixty on top of him for some snuggles, but he had a feeling his chest and arm would hate that.

Cuddles were definitely going to be tricky. Sixty looked over to Allen and his expression softened.

"You ready for a nap?" He slithered down and grabbed Allen's hand in his. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Allen nodded, gratefully squeezing Sixty’s hand. “Please stay.” He added, not wanting to wake up and find that his boyfriend had gotten up and left to sleep on the sofa

Oddly, Allen sounded vulnerable. Sixty eased closer, snuggled in as close as he dared.

"You've got me for as long as you need." He snagged his phone and picked up where they had left off with The Neverending Story, hoping he could help Allen nod off.

Allen smiled, his eyes already starting to drift shut. It felt strange to ask for Sixty to stay, but he wasn’t sure he could bear it if he left.

Snuggled up next to his boyfriend, Allen was asleep within minutes, and slept soundly for as long as Sixty would let him.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scott weasels his way onto the scene once more, much to Sixty's displeasure

As soon as Allen started doing little dreaming snuffles, Sixty switched from reading aloud to quietly reading whatever book he was part way through. Time passed slowly, he kept half an eye on his boyfriend so reading wasn't exactly a success.

There was a knock on the door that had him jump. Allen stirred and Sixty leaned over to kiss him on the forehead.

"Just someone at the door. You snooze a bit more, I'll be back shortly."

As gently as possible, he slipped out of bed and went to see who it was.

Allen was luckily fast enough asleep that even Sixty moving him didn’t do too much. He fell back asleep as soon as his head was repositioned on the pillow. 

Opening the door, Sixty would find a skeptical looking Scott. The redhead was out of his police uniform but still stank of cigarette smoke, and was carrying a large paper bag and sporting a confident grin. “Sup.” He greeted casually, “This where you’ve hidden away the boss?”

First (or rather, second) impressions were still important but somehow Sixty couldn't hold back on his usual bristling.

"There is no hiding. He is resting at the moment and recovering." He sniffed daintily, frowning at the stench of cigarette smoke. Scott certainly seemed to be living up to the brute aspect of the SWAT team.

Scott’s grin only widened as Sixty did the little sniff. He was clearly amused and not off-put by the bristling. 

“Yeah I figured. But it was still a pain to track down your address.” He said, hefting the bag up, “You gonna invite me in or what? I’ll be quiet as a mouse.”

The temptation to not let Scott in so he couldn't imbue the sofa with his smell was strong. But he was Allen's team and seemingly was meaning well. Sixty was trying to make an effort. As graciously as he could, he stepped aside.

"My apartment is a pain to track down for a reason," he grumbled. "No smoking inside or in the garden. And if you wake him, you're out."

It was odd, how protective he was feeling of Allen all of a sudden. The thought of him being woken up unnecessarily was frustrating, Sixty wanted him to be able to rest. His promise of staying with Allen made him squirm. He couldn't leave Scott unattended in the apartment but at the same time, he didn't want Allen waking up alone.

"Sit down," he instructed. "I'm going to just check on Allen then I'll be back. Can I get you a drink on my way?"

Scott simply chuckled, muttering a “yes sir” as he toed off his shoes and stepped inside. Sharp green eyes took in the apartment as they walked into the kitchen. He was quiet though, setting the bag he had brought down carefully and keeping his voice down as he replied “A water I guess. Mind if I come check in on him too?” 

Not that Sixty would know, but it was traditional for the team to come check in on each other during injury recovery. For some, like Allen, the team was often the only group that would come and bring him groceries or make sure he was alright. And now, with Allen suddenly spirited away to some unknown boyfriend’s home, the team was nervous. Antsy enough to track Sixty’s address and send their squad leader.

Gut instinct made Sixty want to run Scott off. An unknown was not only in his apartment while someone was injured but they wanted to go and pester Allen too. In the army he would have been pulling a gun on the person without hesitation and warning them away from his patients. Instead, he gritted his teeth.

"Sure. But only from the doorway, don't pester him." Acutely aware that he was showing a stranger into his bedroom, Sixty nudged the door open and slipped into the half dark room, pulling the cover back up over Allen's shoulder and keeping him as decent as possible.

Despite any of Sixty’s suspicions, Scott stopped in the doorway and just took in the scenario in front of him. Allen looked tired, but comfortable, and he didn’t even wake when Sixty moved to pull the cover up. Good. 

Satisfied, Scott stepped back and wandered into the kitchen to wait there. He figured Sixty might want some alone time and he needed to shoot the rest of the team a message. Just to let them all know everything was fine and their captain was being taken good care of.

Prioritising was something Sixty was usually good at. However, matters of the heart did complicate things. All he wanted to do was snuggle back into bed with Allen and look after him so he wouldn't wake alone. However, he now had to play unwilling host to Scott.

Padding out into the kitchen, Sixty grabbed the promised glass of water and handed it to Scott.

"Are you satisfied with the care he is receiving?"

“You sound like a fuckin surgeon when you say it that way.” Scott chuckled, taking the water and taking a long sip. “Which like, I guess you kinda are, right?” He asked, cocking his head in curiosity. He was genuinely curious about Sixty, but he could tell the other man really didn’t want him here. Not that that had ever deterred him.

“And yeah, he seems snug.” Scott confirmed with a serious nod, “I just came to make the usual check and bring the usual supplies.”

Sixty was not going to deign that what a reply. He was not defined by his job or his education.

"Usual supplies?" he queried instead, curious what the SWAT team classed as that.

“You know. Snacks, energy drinks, pain pills. I didn’t bring groceries cause I figured you were handling that shit.” Scott replied, waving at the bag, “Plus the official mascot. Can’t have the chief sick without the mascot to keep him company.”

From the bag, a battered purple and pink dragon appeared. It was faded and repaired in a few places, along with a couple of stains. Heart melting, Sixty nodded.

"You may take that to him if you wish." That way, if Allen woke up, he would at least guess that Sixty was busy with a guest that was familiar to him.

Scott raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing the shift in Sixty’s trust. “I will gladly take on this task.” He said solemnly, taking the dragon from Sixty’s hand and sneaking into the bedroom. Getting closer did give him a chance to see that Allen was clearly a little fucked out. Good for him.

Scott returned from tucking the dragon into Allen’s arms with a sly smirk. “You’ve been taking good care of our boy.”

Rather than flap his hands and try and cover any marks that may or may not be on his neck, Sixty met the sly smirk with a head on, flat stare.

"Are you implying I wouldn't have taken good care of him?" He was not going to rise to the bait and ask how on earth Scott knew just what kind of care Sixty was giving. There was no way to tell whether someone had sex from just a glance at their sleeping form. Logically, he knew this but Sixty still questioned it in his head.

The stare was met with a tiny little nod from Scott. He appreciated the backbone on Sixty, better than him being a pushover. 

Scott shrugged, saying honestly "None of us know you. So maybe? The boss has had some lame partners before." He wouldn't go into detail, but there had been a few where the team had forcibly 'voted off' one of Allen's dates. Sixty seemed okay so far though. Spunky and sexy and kinda angry around the edges.

Something about that ticked Sixty off. He didn't like the implications of what Scott had just said.

"And he is also an adult in his own right who can make decisions for himself. Whether they're a mistake or not, that's his privilege to decide too."

Sixty really did not take kindly to having choices overruled or taken away. If he thought Allen's team were going to try and separate them, he had no qualms about letting Allen know. Even if it cost them their relationship, at least Allen would be aware of the background machinations of his team. The irony of Connor doing exactly the same didn't go over his head.

Scott raised an eyebrow, retorting "Sure, he's an adult. But you're already pretty protective of him, from what I've seen. So are we." He shrugged at that, watching Sixty and wondering what was going on underneath all those layers that made him lash out sometimes.

"Anyways, you seem fine." Scott added, "I'm not here for an interrogation. Just to check on the boss, like always."

"I look after what's mine," Sixty grumbled and realised what he'd said. As much as he and Allen had talked about dating and labels, he wasn't sure whether Allen would appreciate being called 'his'. Swallowing, Sixty decided that it wasn't any of Scott's business. "You and the team are always welcome to come check on Allen, just give me a heads up so I know you're coming. How did you find this address anyway?"

Scott's expression didn't change, but he definitely filed that one away for later inspection. So Allen was 'his' already, huh? Cute. Allen really was a charmer somehow. 

“If you give me your phone number, we'll be happy to." Scott confirmed. "We're the SWAT team. We found it, even though you clearly didn't want us to." He explained, then added in a much more sincere tone, "We covered our tracks though. Put everything back the way it was, all hidden."

Relief flooded through Sixty at hearing that. It had been what he was most concerned about, he really didn't want to move yet again. Nodding, he sagged a little.

"Thank you. I'll write my number down for you, just a second." He searched for paper and pen hurriedly. When there were no questions about why his address was so guarded, he sighed in appreciation. No doubt Allen was going to find out sooner or later anyway. But he wanted it to be discussed on their terms, not because someone else brought it up. And anyway, Allen deserved the honest truth before any of his team even got near that kind of information.

The reaction said a lot to Scott, and he mentally filed that away as well. When they had had so much trouble finding the address, they had all started to speculate that Sixty was hiding from something...or someone. That was why they had been so careful to cover their tracks. Some of the team might be idiots, but they weren’t cruel.

“Don’t mention it.” Scott said, waving his hand as if to brush aside the thanks. He didn’t sit back down again, instead leaning lazily on the counter, one hip out. After he got Sixty’s number he could probably just head out, he reasoned, since Allen was fine and he had delivered the supplies.

Rummaging around, Sixty cursed at not having paper other than receipts around and no way was he letting someone see what he bought and where. In the end, he tore the back of an envelope off and scribbled furiously.

As well as his number, he put a note on there to say that if out of hours minor injuries or illnesses occurred in the team, they were allowed to call him. As he passed the paper over, the sound of a door opening drew his attention. Allen stood in the doorway of the bedroom, ruffled, blinking sleepily and clutching at the cuddly toy. Sixty's heart melted.

Scott took the piece of paper with a grin and a nod, about to make his excuses and exit when he heard the door open as well. The grin melted into a more fond smile as he spotted Allen looking for all the world like a kid woken up in the middle of the night. 

“Sixty?” Allen murmured in a voice that was heavy with sleep, still rubbing his eyes and unsure of who else was in the room, “Who came...?” He wiggled the little dragon as if that was a decent finish to his sentence.

Instantly, Sixty was by Allen's side, smoothing his hair down, cupping his cheek.

"Just Scott. He came to make sure I wasn't some dragon, hoarding my prince in a tower." He fussed a little with Allen's sling, getting it more comfortable around his shoulder. "You want to say hi to him? We can get you settled in bed and he'll come say hello if you'd like."

Perhaps Sixty was fussing too much but he'd never really had that kind of care so was determined to provide it to anyone who might need it instead.

Allen leaned into the touch instinctively, smiling as he felt Sixty close to him. He yawned, managing to focus on the other person in the room long enough to recognize him. “Hey you smug bastard.” He muttered, but instead of that being an insult it was instead accompanied by him holding out an arm towards Scott.

The redhead quickly closed the gap and gave Allen a one armed hug before ruffling his hair affectionately. “Good to see you too boss. Your boyfriend’s right, let’s get you back to bed.” He said, nodding at Sixty. It was pretty adorable how much he clearly wanted to pamper Allen.

Guiding Allen and Scott into the bedroom, Sixty helped his boyfriend settle amongst the pillows. He made sure one was padding his shoulder comfortably before looking around.

"I'll get you some more water." He grabbed the empty glass and bustled out, leaving the other two to have a little while to themselves.

Allen happily let himself be snuggled into the bed, relaxing with a sigh. “Thanks babe...” he murmured, watching Sixty go with a smile. Once he had left, he turned his attention to Scott, who had perched himself on the edge of the bed comfortably. “So? Did you satisfy your snooping urges?” Allen teased, knowing that the team was probably dying to know what was going on with him and Sixty.

“Absolutely not! I just came to deliver the usual supplies.” Scott huffed with faux offense, reaching over and tucking the dragon more closely into Allen’s arms. He gave his captain a shy smile then, added “But I do like your new boyfriend. Even if he doesn’t like me very much.”

The kitchen gave Sixty a moment's reprieve and a chance to gather himself. He had heard Allen's joking question about snooping but it set off a moment of panic in him. If Scott told Allen that the address was on the protected register or mentioned that Sixty was difficult to track down, the truth would have to come tumbling out sooner than he would have liked.

Rather than burst in and kick Scott out, Sixty took a few steadying breaths and slowly walked back towards the room, uncertain whether he wanted to overhear anything else or not.

Allen chuckled softly, retorting “You’re not a very charming man when you don’t think you’re going to score. Sixty is right to be wary of you.” Scott laughed at that, head thrown back as he accepted the dig at his character. 

“You’re right, of course.” He agreed once the laughter died down, “Although if you weren’t tapping that I’d be in line.” Allen groaned and rolled his eyes, replying “You’re too horny for your own good. I hope Marsha is keeping you in line.” 

At the mention of the other teammate, their conversation turned to the team, Allen wanting an update. The topic of the address didn’t even threaten to surface.

There was nothing ominous that Sixty overheard but his heart was still stuck in his throat. Maybe he had missed that part of the conversation. Steeling himself for come what may, he knocked on the door frame and stepped in, fresh glass of water in hand.

"I'll just leave this here and let you two get on with things," he announced even if all he wanted to do was curl up on the bed with Allen. Though he had a sneaking suspicion that Scott would rib them incessantly for it. So, he decided beating a retreat was the most sensible option.

Allen frowned and patted the bed next to him. “C’mere, I’m sure once Scott is ready to leave he can let himself out.” He insisted, not wanting Sixty to have to go and sit by himself in his own home. That was pretty sad. And besides, he really wanted to have Sixty under his arm right now. 

Scott chuckled, shifting on the bed to make more room. “I’ll be gone pretty soon anyways. You look like you need more sleep.” He said, pointing an accusing finger at Allen’s eye bags.

“Well who woke me up, huh?” Allen teased right back.

The teasing was oddly relaxing, Sixty thought. He perched awkwardly on the edge of the bed, uncertain what to do. However, after a moment's internal debate, he decided that Scott will have likely seen a hell of a lot worse than some simple cuddling so Sixty burrowed into Allen's side, blinking up at him like a sleepy owl.

"Bags under eyes are currently highly fashionable, I'll have you know," he grumbled. "And those are designer ones, perfect for carrying all emotional baggage."

Despite his seemingly lax body language, Sixty was still on high alert. Having a stranger in his home was not something he tolerated easily. It didn't matter how nice Scott seemed, Sixty couldn't trust him until he got to know him better. Needless to say, he was going to escort him to the door when it was time to leave.

Allen melted inside as Sixty wiggled up next to him and got comfortable. It made him happy to see his boyfriend trust him like that and be open to showing off in front of a stranger. He leaned happily against Sixty and chuckled at the joke about eye bags. 

“Guess I’ll have to work on being more fashionable then.” Scott laughed, throwing Sixty an easy grin. He stuck around and joked some more, the small talk easy and relaxed, but once Allen started to flag again he stood up. 

“Alright, I’ll be off.” Scott announced, “I’ll leave you in the capable hands of your nurse and his dragon assistant.”

"Doctor, not nurse," Sixty grumbled as he slithered out of the bed. He had been getting comfortable, warm and a little sleepy. While he wouldn't have fallen asleep with Scott in the apartment, he was more relaxed than he would have anticipated.

Standing by the door, he gestured towards the hallway to the apartment's front door. "I'll see you out."

Scott raised an eyebrow at Sixty’s insistence, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he just gave Allen one last wave, which was returned in a very sleepy manner. 

Scott easily let himself be ushered to the door, only commenting before he stepped out the door “You need any help, you call us, okay? You’re with Allen now, you’re part of our team.” He meant that too. That was the unspoken rule, but he had a feeling it needed to be said.

That was utterly unexpected and Sixty blinked at Scott, waiting for the punchline of what was surely a distasteful joke. When none seemed to be coming, he nodded one.

"Thank you, that is very kind and generous of you." He didn't say that he'd never call, not trusting them just yet. Nor did he have anyone's phone number so it wasn't like he could have, even if he wanted to.

He waved Scott goodbye and closed the door. Double checking the lock was firmly in place, he returned to the bedroom.

What Sixty didn't know was that in the bag of supplies was also a piece of paper with contact information for the rest of the team. They had all agreed to it given two factors: one, the registry Sixty's address was on never meant good things, and he could probably use some allies, and two, Allen seemed pretty smitten already to be staying with him while recovering.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh would you look at the time, it's Sixty break down - o'clock!

With Scott back on his way home, cigarette already on his lips once he was off Sixty's property, the apartment fell silent once more. Allen was making a valiant effort to stay awake despite being completely exhausted, so he managed to rally and give Sixty a sleepy smile when he entered the room. 

"Hey beautiful..."

The smile Sixty shot him didn't quite reach his eyes, his mind still reeling.

"Hey handsome," he replied and settled back on the bed. Pulling Allen close to him might have looked like a caring move but it served the selfish purpose of hiding Sixty's face and expressions from him.

"Why don't you snooze for a bit more? I promise I'll be here when you wake up."

He tried to hold himself together, kept his muscles lax by force while his mind was reeling. Logically, he knew the SWAT team had access to a lot of resources to finding his address wasn't an issue for them. But he couldn't get out of his mind the fact that strangers now had his address without his permission. They could tell anyone where he lived and that frightened Sixty. Perhaps he should have been grateful for the few years he had felt safe in his home. But he didn't want to move again. Silent tears trickled down his cheeks.

Allen was all but asleep again once Sixty snuggled up next to him. He was tired from the medication and the stress of his injuries, and now that it was just the two of them there was nothing keeping him from relaxing. 

But something...something felt off. Even as tired as he was, Allen could feel the way Sixty was still moving slightly, and there was an odd dampness on his skin where Sixty’s face was pressed close. A jolt of worry had Allen opening his eyes again.

“Sixty? Babe, are you okay?” He murmured, not sure if he was maybe imagining all of this.

"I'm fine, go to sleep," Sixty sniffled, cursing himself for not being able to even have a quiet breakdown without disturbing Allen. Part of him desperately wanted to run and hide, settle his thoughts in a dark corner by himself. At the same time, he wondered what it would be like to have someone to rely on, to have Allen reassure him that it was going to be okay. But that would mean Allen being told the whole ugly truth.

“Hey...no, I’m not going to sleep while you’re upset.” Allen insisted gently, pulling Sixty closer. He wished he had both arms free so he could hug his boyfriend, but this would have to do for now.

“What’s wrong? How can I help you?” He asked softly.

There was only so much Sixty could resist before crumbling and a small sob escaped him.

"I don't want to move again," he whispered, all too aware that it wasn't making any sense without context but that was the first thing that came out and he couldn't find the words to help make sense.

Allen was soothing his hand up and down Sixty’s side, pressing gentle kisses to whatever he could reach. What his boyfriend was saying didn’t make much sense, but the fact that he was upset was obvious.

“Why do you have to move? I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t have to, okay?” Allen soothed, wanting to know more but not wanting to push too hard.

On one level, Sixty knew he was overreacting, that the SWAT team no doubt could dig any address up they wanted, no matter where it was listed. But if they could, so could Elijah. He could pay someone, charm his way to it. Someone with the right connections could find Sixty or Connor or Nines.

"They found my address, it's not safe anymore. I need to call Nines, let him know. They might need to move too. I don't want to start over again. He'll find us again and I don't want that." He couldn't remember where he had left his phone and the tears were starting to come thick and fast. The urge to run and hide was strong but he was in his own apartment, there was nowhere left to run.

Allen’s frown deepened as Sixty continued to talk. This was serious, maybe a stalker or someone else dangerous. And it was caused, unintentionally or not, by his team, who must have looked up the address somehow. Shit. Guilt settled into the pit of Allen’s stomach, but now wasn’t the time for that.

“C’mere, I’ve got you. You’re safe here for tonight, no one is going to find you or any of your siblings.” Allen reassured, pulling at Sixty so he was laying more on top of Allen’s chest. It hurt like hell, but he needed to keep his boyfriend close right now.

“Breathe with me, Sixty. Cry if you need to, but I need you to stay calm so I can figure out how to help.” He reassured, keeping his own breathing steady and even as possible.

The solid warmth under Sixty definitely helped, as did the soft, firm voice. He slipped off Allen's chest and curled into his side instead, trembling as he tried to get the panic under control.

"If they found me, he could find any of us. He's got contacts, got the money." Something else made him hiccough in misery. "I only bring you stress and problems. I'm so sorry."

“Shhhh none of that talk.” Allen insisted, almost making the mistake of carding through Sixty’s hair and then thinking better of it. Instead, he just held him close and kept talking, low and slow.

“My team has access to classified documents so we can help people. Normal civilians can’t access any of that, money or not, and I can promise you they would never share that information. You’re safe.”

Shaking his head, Sixty squeezed his eyes shut.

"You don't know what he's like, what he's capable of. Elijah will stop at nothing if he catches a scent. He'll not just threaten, he has the means to tear any life apart if he doesn't get what he wants."

It was ridiculous that Sixty had been in the army, had seen things that nobody should ever witness. And yet there he was, crying in his bed and terrified of one man. Of someone he was promised to never have to go near again.

A weird sense of recognition hit Allen, and he looked down in confusion at Sixty. “Elijah....do you mean Elijah Kamski?” He asked softly. If so, that made so much more sense. There was a man who was able to do whatever he wanted. Money, power, connections, he had it all. Sixty was within his rights to be worried about him, but Allen couldn’t fathom why.

Even the mention of the bane had Sixty stilling, fear winning out over everything else. Now Allen knew. Well, almost.

"When our mother, Amanda, found a new partner, we had to change our names. I used to be Silas Kamski."

He waited for Allen's reaction, his rejection at knowing exactly who Sixty was now. It was a problem Connor had encountered before, being left when the truth about their step-father trickled out. Nobody wanted the estranged step-son of someone so powerful.

Allen’s mind was whirling, putting together all the pieces of what Sixty had shown and told him already. Connor’s strange behavior - the accusation of domestic abuse - the panic over being found or having his hair pulled - it all made sense. Allen hadn’t become the captain of the SWAT team by not being perceptive. 

“Oh Sixty...” he murmured, leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead, “Fuck, I’m so sorry. I can only guess he wasn’t a good man or a good step-father.” Allen had no love for the rich and powerful, given how often he was involved in cracking down on their crimes.

By that point Sixty didn't know what he was apologising for but "sorry" seemed to be the only word he knew. He was sorry he hadn't told Allen before. Sorry that he hadn't been honest. Sorry that he hadn't stood up for himself or his brothers. There was too much rolling through his mind and to top it all off, Allen wasn't pushing him away, wasn't throwing him out, kicking him out of bed. Instead, Sixty was being cradled like someone to be treasured and he couldn't cope with it.

"Why are you so nice?" he wailed.

Allen hated hearing Sixty apologize any time, but especially now when he knew that it was for something he definitely had no control over and shouldn’t be blamed for. He kept making soft hushing noises as he held Sixty close, his own exhaustion forgotten in the face of a much more important issue. 

“Because you deserve this.” Allen said simply, “Whatever has happened to you, you deserve to be held and kept safe. You deserve kindness.” It made sense in his mind, it was one of the guiding principles that he held in his job. The victims they saved deserved all the kindness in the world.

The words individually made sense, Sixty knew what they meant. But strung together and directed at him, they were incomprehensible.

"But if he finds me, if he finds out about you, that's your job on the line. He'll make you choose. And ruin you if you don't play his game to his rules."

Sixty remembered the day he stopped playing. He had waited until Nines was old enough to get a scholarship and was out of the house before he told Amanda to run and he disappeared into the army. It had taken several years before he, Connor and Nines could speak again and even then, only once Nines had wrangled them name changes and put their addresses on the protected register. It was one of the perks of his job.

Allen shook his head, pressing a few more kisses to Sixty’s forehead and the crown of his head. “I’m a stubborn bastard.” He reassured Sixty, “And he’s not here now. It’s just you and me, and I’m not going to let anything hurt you tonight, okay? Promise.” 

Allen knew better than to make promises he knew he couldn’t keep, but this was one he knew he could. Sixty was also clearly panicking, and not really coherent or logical. So instead, Allen focused on what was real.

“You can hear my heartbeat, right? Just there, right under your head. And my hand on your back, and your nice soft sheets. I’m here because I care about you and I’m not going anywhere.”

It took a little while for Sixty to be able to focus on what Allen was saying. He tried to do as told and listen to his heartbeat. If not to calm down then at least to stop any kind of punishment for being contrary. It certainly helped though, he calmed gradually and was more aware of what was going on around them.

"Oh shit. I've got snot and tears on you," he muttered. There was no point in trying to wipe it off, it would only make things worse so Sixty tried to wriggle free of Allen's hold to get him a clean shirt.

Allen just held Sixty and continued to speak encouragingly and softly as he started to calm down. He was keeping his own breathing regulated and calm so that his boyfriend had something to follow, not concentrating on any aches or pains in his own chest.

“I mean, I drooled on your nice nurse costume, so I think we’re even.” Allen joked, not holding Sixty down in case that would panic him more. “I can just take this one off, I don’t actually care. Just stay here with me.”

The fact Allen had asked him to stay was confusing. Sixty had just had a veritable breakdown, was an absolute disgusting mess so he should be told to pull himself together and not come back until he was presentable again. Sniffly and breathing still hitching at times, he sat up.

"I don't want you uncomfortable." As soon as he said it, he realised he had been lying on Allen's chest, probably putting pressure on places that were hurting. Quietly, he swore under his breath. As well as making a spectacle of himself, he had also been hurting Allen. It was a wonder he hadn't been locked in timeout yet to think about all he had fuck up.

"I'll be more comfortable with you here." Allen insisted, smiling up at his boyfriend. He was smiling even though his heart was breaking at the way Sixty was acting, not letting his negative emotions escape and influence Sixty. An abusive parent...and a pretty terrible one at that, given the amount of fear and precaution. It explained a lot that Allen now wished had stayed a mystery.

"But if getting me a new shirt will help you feel better, you can do that." He offered, not wanting to crack down on the poor guy when he was obviously panicking.

Somehow, it was easier to focus on Allen's pain than his own. There were steps to be taken to make things better. First, Sixty had to get Allen out of his shirt, check on his injuries, maybe grab an ice pack if needed. They were set steps he could take which took his mind off his own troubles.

"Well, I can't have you sleeping in a soiled shirt," he tried to smile, bedside manners taking over from his own panic. "Come on, I'll need you to sit up so I can sort out this mess."

Forcing all his focus into sorting Allen out definitely helped. It gave Sixty a little distance from everything plaguing his mind. Hopefully the time would also be enough to settle and be able to think logically rather than sheer panic.

Allen didn’t protest when Sixty got up and started fussing over him. He didn’t particularly like that that was how Sixty was dealing with his own stress, but he wasn’t going to push. Instead, he let his boyfriend take care of him, smiling softly and thanking him as he went. 

“You’re so good to me darling” Allen said, stealing a kiss as Sixty got close enough.

The kiss and sweet words made Sixty's lips wobble and his hands shake. He wasn't good, all he did was create confusion, mess and pain. However that wasn't the focus right now, Allen and his injuries were.

"And you are too sweet for your own good. Now, tell me where you're hurting and how much."

Slipping into medic mode definitely helped even if it wasn't the healthiest of coping mechanisms.

Allen caught the momentary wobble, but didn't say anything. Instead, he just replied "My chest hurts and so does my arm a little...But if I go to sleep I'm sure it'll be fine." He knew he had just taken pain pills, and with Sixty so upset he didn't want to fuss at it too much.

"Come back to bed with me?" Allen asked softly, "I want to fall asleep with you."

Allen hummed softly, and then he was asleep. The exhaustion and the worry combined with the pain pills had him knocked out almost immediately, and sleeping soundly all night. If he had dreams, he didn't remember them when he woke up.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Learning to trust is hard, but Sixty and Allen are giving it their best shot

Waking up was a slow process for Allen that morning, and he snuggled instinctively closer to Sixty. Small, soft nonsense noises escaped his throat as his brain began the slow process of coming back to alertness.

Waking up to being snuggled was not something Sixty was used to at all and he woke with his heart in his throat, frozen in place with fear. Slowly, his mind caught up with everything that had happened and he sank into the bed with a soft "oh fuck" as he realised how Allen now knew the surface details.

Rather than let panic take over, he pulled Allen closer and let him snuggle. The soft little noises were too cute to ignore and Sixty allowed himself a smile. The muscle bound, hardened SWAT captain was not only a snuggler but an adorable one at that.

Allen smiled as he was pulled closer into the hug. He wasn’t shy about physical affection, but when he was sleepy or drunk he was a terrible snuggler. Right now there was a warm body next to him and Allen wanted to be as close as possible, nosing into the crook of Sixty’s neck.

Once he was more awake, he pressed sleep kisses there, not up for speaking yet but he wanted Sixty to know he was appreciated.

Surely Allen remembered their conversation from the previous night. Yet he was still mouthing against Sixty's neck and cuddling into him. Maybe it was a moment of weakness but Sixty sank into it rather than pull away until Allen was properly awake and aware of everything.

"Morning handsome. How's the pain this morning?"

Allen sighed happily and took a few moments before he replied "Not too bad. I could use a pain pill, but that can wait." He didn't want to lie to Sixty, but he also didn't want him to jump out of bed right away. 

"Makes me feel better to have you here." Allen added, completely sincere.

There wasn't much Sixty could say to that other than snuggling up against Allen. Even when cold feet collided with his legs, he simply huffed from surprise and tucked his boyfriend closer.

"I'm not sure what state I'd be in if you weren't here," he admitted quietly. "Thank you. For being so patient and understanding."

Allen chuckled and muttered an apology for the cold feet, despite not moving them. He usually wrapped himself into a bit of a burrito, so he wasn't used to wearing socks to bed.

"Well, you wouldn't exactly have this stress if it weren't for my foolhardy team." Allen corrected him gently, "But you're more than welcome. I want to be here for you whenever I can."

That was far too sweet of Allen to say. Sixty sighed, not quite knowing where to start the conversation. In the end, he left the whole thing in Allen's hands.

"I'm guessing you have some questions rattling around in that head of yours?"

He didn't know what to expect Allen's answer to be. Whether he'd want to know more about Kamski and his work. Last night he certainly seemed to believe Sixty but now that the immediate panic was over and the sun was shining, he might have had doubts and Sixty's story.

Allen hummed thoughtfully and pulled back to look at Sixty properly. "I suppose I do." He said, nodding, "And I apologize in advance for the fact that this conversation will probably bring up a lot of unpleasant memories..." If last night was any indication, this would probably end with Sixty in tears again. But today, Allen would have the whole rest of the day to pamper him and make it up to his boyfriend.

"I suppose my first question is...Is he actively looking for you? My first priority is your safety and by extension your brothers', and if Kamski is looking for you three there are more concrete steps we might take. Not that I don't think you haven't already done your best to protect yourselves." Allen said, watching Sixty carefully as he spoke. There was no doubt in his mind of Sixty's story. Anyone could be an abuser, and he had no interest in an interrogation. Sixty was the priority here.

As much as Sixty didn't know what to expect, that question hadn't even made it onto his list of possibilities.

"I don't know if he's actively looking for us, though I don't think he is. But I know if he gets wind of any of us, we will all have to go to ground and start over somewhere else. So if your team let something slip, it's not just me they've fucked over, it's Connor and Nines too."

It felt strange, discussing it with someone outside of his family. Though, maybe Allen would eventually end up on that level too; it was early days yet. Either way, it looked like Allen was going to be many of his firsts and not just when it came to sex.

It was, admittedly, a leftover from Allen's SWAT training that he assessed the 'active' threat first, and moved into other concerns afterwards. 

"Well first of all, I want to apologize for my team snooping, but assure you that none of them are the type to snitch or let something slip." Allen said seriously, "They may be idiots, but they're family. I trust them with my life every day." The part that Sixty was omitting, either on purpose or accidentally, was that Hank and Gavin's lives would also be ruined if this happened. They couldn't just all up and move if something happened - they all had careers that they had worked hard on.

"You shouldn't have to apologise for something you didn't do," Sixty replied fiercely. Immediately, he sheepishly backed down, embarrassed to have had such a strong reaction and opinion.

"And I know you trust them implicitly. But you know them. Would you trust a stranger with your life because I told you they were okay?"

Allen was surprised by Sixty's fierce reaction, but he didn't take it personally. Instead, he considered what he had to say carefully before daring a reply. This was a gamble, but it was the truth.

"To some extent, yes. I trust you when you say that Connor is sincere, and isn't going to try and kill me again." Allen explained, "I don't know him, and if he were anyone else, I would have arrested him after the first incident." He paused, and added "I don't mean anything bad by that. And of course it's your choice to trust or not. But I'll do everything in my power to keep your secret."

Sighing, Sixty rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He was trying to find the right words but wasn't sure if there were any.

"It's not that I don't trust you or your team. But when you grow up not being able to rely on anyone but your brothers for help, when nobody else believes you, well, it's a difficult habit to break. Sorry."

He didn't want to think about Connor, how he had slipped and spiraled into the very behaviour that had left them so emotionally scarred to start with.

"I trust you. At this stage I have no option but to trust you and your team anyway. This would have come out eventually but it would have been nice to have it happen on my terms."

“I know, and I’m not angry at you for that.” Allen reassured him. He didn’t want Sixty to think that, even if he was a little hurt at the lack of trust. He understood, because that kind of lifelong trauma wasn’t something you just shook off in an instant. This wasn’t about  _ him, _ Allen reminded himself sternly.

“I guess that leads into my second question...what can I do to help you? How can I help you feel safer or more, I dunno, understood?”

As per usual, Allen had managed to defy all expectations. There was no interrogation about what Eljiah had done to them, no request for proof, no questioning whether the famous Elijah Kamski could really do that. Or even worse, telling him he should have been grateful to have such an influential father figure who kept their family together.

"I don't know." Sixty glanced away in shame. "I think time will help me settle again, stop me expecting every single noise to be him at the door. And maybe, if you ever meet him, don't fall for his charm? He's so easy to like on the surface, helpful, eager to please, will shell out money on anything to win you over. Then he twists you to his own agenda. He'll tell you how difficult it was, raising three kids only 14 years younger than him when he got together with Amanda. How we all deserted him. But he won't mention how he'd lock us away, drag us by our hair to the cupboard if we stepped out of line. If we took more food than he thought we deserved."

Sixty was starting to shake again, his voice getting quieter and quieter. It wasn't something he ever talked about before, not like this and he was scared he had said too much.

Every word made Allen angrier for the abuse Sixty must have suffered - not just from Elijah, but from the people who had told him these kinds of things before, or let him down in the face of what was probably his biggest fear. While SWAT didn't often do domestic calls, they busted enough operations that involved victims of abuse that Allen was familiar with their stories and behaviors. 

He reached out and gently took Sixty's hand in his, squeezing it. "I'm not a big fan of slick businessmen anyways." He reassured, "Comes with the job. And anyways, I believe what you're telling me. So it doesn't matter how nice he is or what stories he tells." Now that Allen knew what the hair pulling reminded Sixty of, he felt even worse for accidentally triggering that response.

"You don't have to tell me any more if it upsets you." Allen added, "Just...if there's ever something you don't want me to do, tell me. No questions asked, I'll stop."

It was beyond Sixty why Allen was being so kind and understanding.

"You don't think any less of me? Or want to leave?" He was timid with his questions, too many years of being accused of being too nosy, too inquisitive without good cause.

Allen shook his head firmly. He had wondered if Sixty was going to ask, given his worries previously. But this was a great opportunity to reassure him. 

“Absolutely not.” He said, meeting Sixty’s gaze and holding it as he continued “If anything, I admire your strength even more. For making it through something like that and taking care of yourself and your brothers.”

"We took care of each other. And still do, even if it's a bit misguided at times." Sixty let out a watery laugh. "So now you know the dark, ugly secret I've been trying to leave behind. If you decide to stick around, this is what you may have to deal with."

"Well, if you'll have me, I think I'll stick around." Allen said confidently, giving Sixty's hand another gentle squeeze. Now that he knew why Sixty behaved the way he did half the time, it was going to be easier to temper his expectations and his actions. And he genuinely really liked Sixty, weird quirks and all.

Shy and still a little disbelieving, Sixty laced their fingers together.

"I think I'd really like it if you stuck around for as long as your heart would allow." 

Perhaps it was worded in a slightly stilted way but he didn't know how else to say that Allen was welcome in his life and his heart had room for him to take up residence in, if he so wished.

Allen's face broke into a slow smile as Sixty invited him to stay in such a sweet, awkward way. That kind of summed up what he found so cute about his boyfriend. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to Sixty's cheek, just a sweet peck, just to remind him that he was too cute.

"Sounds like a plan." Allen joked, "You're definitely stuck with me until this arm heals."

Logically, Sixty knew it was a joke. It still didn't stop his emotions from freezing then plummeting with the fear that he was only wanted while he was useful; be it in terms of his medical knowledge and providing assistance or to make someone  Elijah look amazing for caring about some truant teenagers barely younger than him.

"I see," he knew he needed to ask, to assuage his fears rather than cut losses before they could hurt too much, "and after that?" He was trying to keep it together but after last night and this morning's talk of his past, everything was so raw. Allen had already said he'll stick around if Sixty would have him but doubts about whether he was here until Sixty no longer served a purpose plagued him.

Allen knew immediately that he had messed up by trying to lighten the mood like that. Sixty's whole body and his expression froze up, clearly upset. "You're still stuck with me after that." Allen reassured him, thumb rubbing slow circles against his hand, "What I meant is that once my arm is healed I can stay in my own apartment again, nothing more."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you." He added, feeling bad despite knowing he had only had good intentions with the statement.

"I know. Sorry." Sixty ducked, blushing. He felt so silly for reacting as he did. Especially when he knew Allen had only meant well. He risked stealing a kiss.

"What would you like to do today?" Sixty tried to get the day back on track. "Unless there was anything else you wanted to ask?"

Allen smiled at the kiss and wiggled a little closer to Sixty in return. “No need to apologize.” He insisted gently. The last thing he wanted was for Sixty to start feeling guilty on top of everything else.

“My only question for you is: what do you like to do to pamper yourself on a day off?” Allen asked with a smile.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features the return of the cock cage, and also of Connor! Will both encounters end well? Read on to find out!

Of all the questions to ask, that was one that had Sixty flushing bright red. However, he had invited the questions and was going to answer it honestly.

"I use sex as a coping strategy." He spoke quietly, tempted to mumble his words to combat the shame. "It was one of the few things he didn't taint."

After a moment, he gestured vaguely towards the bedside drawers.

"You've seen my favourites, saw the cage I like to use." This time he spoke barely above a whisper. "I often fantasized about having a partner who cared, who could have full control of my pleasure sometimes."

Allen had expected Sixty to say something like “take a bubble bath” or “watch TV and eat junk food”, but he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. The kinky aspect of Sixty’s life was turning out to be surprisingly emotional though, and Allen found himself feeling a pang of sympathy. What a thing to fantasize about, having a partner who cared about you.

“If you want me to, I’d be happy to take care of you today.” Allen murmured, lowering his voice to match Sixty’s tone. “Make sure you feel good, feel special like you are.”

It took a lot of willpower for Sixty to lift his gaze and meet Allen's stare head on, even if his cheeks were aflame.

"You'd really do that?" were the first words out of his mouth. "I mean. You're still recovering, this week should be about you and your needs. Not my silly whims and demands."

He cleared his throat and looked away, mildly mortified that he hadn't managed to put Allen and his needs first, that he'd let his mouth and dreams get in the way.

Allen smiled softly at Sixty, barely able to believe how sweet he looked all blushy like this. It wasn’t often that he was so flustered, and Allen was loving it. 

“What you just told me wasn’t silly, and I’m the one who asked in the first place.” He explained gently. Allen leaned in and pressed a kiss to Sixty’s shoulder, adding “It would make me really happy to do that for you.

It was humbling, to have someone so generous and free with their affection. Sixty felt all soft and mushy emotionally, each time he even thought about Allen.

"I am yours to do as you see fit with for the rest of the day. Should I get anything out?" He wasn't sure whether he should offer a cock cage, a toy or even to just be a cock warmer for Allen. This was unfamiliar territory for him, nothing outside the realms of fantasy until now.

Allen hummed thoughtfully as he considered his options. “Seeing as we don’t have to go anywhere today, let’s see how pretty you look in that cage.” He finally suggested, “I didn’t get to appreciate you properly last time.”

Allen’s mind was whirling with ideas of how he could keep Sixty on the edge all day, ramping up the pleasure and then soothing it back down to prolong the enjoyment. This was going to be lovely.

The way Sixty quickly scrambled for the bedside drawer was probably overly enthusiastic and graceless. However, he didn't find it in himself to care in that moment. Once it was in his hand, he turned, uncertain once more.

"Did you want me to put it on or...?" He wasn't sure how Allen could do it with one hand. It was possible but was a bit fiddly.

Allen grinned as he watched Sixty scramble. His body betrayed him, even when he was overly worried in his head. That was part of why Allen wanted to treat him like this today, to try and get him out of his head

“Why don’t you be a good boy and put it on for me.” Allen suggested, getting comfortable in his little nest of pillows. Then he paused, asking “Is that alright? The good boy stuff?” Now, when Sixty was already in a delicate state, he didn’t want to do anything that would upset him.

Squirming a little, Sixty shrugged.

"I'm not a fan of 'boy' as an endearment. I'm not some child and I have a name." He wasn't sure whether now was the right time to mention that Elijah had loved to dehumanised them, refusing to call them anything but boy or kiddo when he was trying to show he was displeased.

Even as he spoke though, Sixty was pushing his sweatpants down and slipping the cage on his cock. The lock slid into place and he turned the key. It helped settle him a little, this small measure of control, even if he was about to give it away. He held the key out to Allen with a quiet "I'm yours."

Allen nodded, filing away more information about Sixty and how to make him happy. It was nice, to slowly get to know what made him tick. "Alright, none of that talk then." He confirmed, "Any other requests though? I remember no degradation."

Allen took the key carefully when it was handed to him, smiling gently at Sixty. "Thank you. I'll take good care of you, promise." He said. For a moment he was unsure of where to put the key, until a moment of inspiration struck and he pulled out the dogtags. "Help me thread it on here for the day?" He asked, holding out the chain and the key.

Heart pounding, Sixty opened up the chain and threaded the key onto it. With a clink, it settled next to the dogtags which Allen still wore. Even if Allen didn't quite know it yet, Sixty was his, heart and soul. As much as they had hiccoughs along the way, somewhere along the line, Sixty had decided to trust him with his everything. He watched the key and the dogtags be tucked back under Allen's shirt and his eyes were glued to where they had settled, hidden out of sight.

A strange sort of calm settled over Sixty. Allen had quiet control of everything, if something cropped up, he would help sort it. Breaths slowing down into something soft and relaxed, Sixty turned large eyes to Allen. "What now?"

Allen’s smile broadened as he tucked the tags and the key away and watched Sixty’s eyes go wide and big. “You look so gorgeous already.” He murmured, reaching out and cupping Sixty’s cheek with his palm, “C’mere, I think I need to kiss you just a little bit first.” 

He waited for Sixty to clamber closer onto his lap before leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his lips. This kind of power play was something he’d never done before, but he absolutely loved it already. There was something really satisfying about seeing Sixty so pliant already and knowing that he was in charge of making him happy.

With each kiss, something fell away until Sixty felt raw and open in Allen's lap. Pleasure hummed through him but with his cock locked away, it wasn't a pressing need that had to be taken care of. In a way it felt like falling backwards through a soft cloud, knowing he was going to be caught at the end, so he could actually enjoy the tumble down.

"Let me serve you?" he asked softly. "Tell me what you need."

Allen sighed softly as he felt Sixty relax, his own pleasure humming low and soft through his body. There wasn’t an insistent need, not yet. But he would get there eventually. 

“Hm...I could use some breakfast.” Allen decided, “Let’s get up and you can cook us something, okay?” He was going to get to the sexual stuff, but first some nice domestic calm sounded nice.

That was something Sixty could do. He stood up, righting himself and pulling his clothes into a semblance of order before offering Allen a hand to pull him up.

"What would you like? I think I have the ingredients for a cooked breakfast. Or pancakes?" He leaned in and stole another kiss before leading them into the kitchen, finding his balance in the shift of dynamic.

Allen got up with a tiny groan, his body stiff from being in bed for so long. He stretched, yawned, and then followed Sixty into the kitchen as he explained what the breakfast options were. 

“Hmmm...pancakes sound lovely.” Allen said, leaning up against Sixty’s back and resting his head there comfortably. His free arm wrapped around his boyfriend’s waist, keeping them close.

This had to be heaven. Sixty must have fallen off his bike or tripped and smacked his head. Because there was no other explanation for what he was feeling. He relaxed against Allen, content to mix the batter and flip pancakes, occasionally offering a strawberry over his shoulder for Allen to taken.

He didn't even hear his front door open until a shocked little "oh fuck" drew his attention.

Allen was thoroughly enjoying himself. When he had told Sixty he’d take care of him today, he had meant that in every way possible. Including making sure they were both fed and completely relaxed. His hand around Sixty’s waist occasionally ran a soothing circle across his stomach, but otherwise Allen was content to just lean together.

He was halfway through enjoying a strawberry when he heard the sudden noise. Allen’s head jolted up off of Sixty’s back and turned to see a very shocked Connor standing in the doorway.

It took a moment for Sixty to catch up with what was going on and he looked at Connor with a confused pout. Before he could say anything, Connor was backing away.

"Sorry I interrupted. Just wanted to drop something off but I'll leave it on the side and leave. Forget I saw anything." He hadn't meant to interrupt such an intimate moment. The glazed look Sixty had fixed him with told him everything he needed to know and more. It was a look Connor was vaguely familiar with, having experienced it once or twice himself.

Staring after his twin, Sixty shrugged. If it was something that needed dealing with, Allen could sort it or tell him to go manage Connor. He turned to look over his shoulder questioningly.

At first, Allen was on guard when he saw that it was Connor interrupting their morning. But he quickly put those feelings aside, for a couple of reasons. First, Allen was in charge of Sixty’s happiness right now, and him getting annoyed would spoil the mood. And second, Connor actually wasn’t doing anything bad. In fact, he seemed ridiculously embarrassed and eager to get out of their hair.

“It’s alright, we’re just making pancakes.” Allen insisted with a reassuring smile. He made no move to pull away from Sixty, but he did gesture with his head towards the stack on the plate, adding “You can take one for the road if you want.” Allen shot that same reassuring smile to Sixty when he looked back, murmuring “You just keep cooking darling.”

Nodding, Sixty turned back to the pancakes but he reached over to a cupboard on his right.

"There's chunky peanut butter for you, Con." He put the jar down and sighed, leaning back against Allen. His family and his boyfriend were getting on, this was so nice.

"Thanks." Connor was careful not to touch Sixty, uncertain how it would be taken by either Allen or his twin. He cast them a curious look, hesitant to break whatever truce there seemed to be.

Allen felt strangely benevolent right now, watching Connor take the peanut butter and carefully move towards the stack of pancakes. He pressed a lazy kiss to Sixty’s shoulder to reassure him that he was still here and still enjoying himself. No sense in going overboard on PDA while Connor was here, but still. It was nice.

“We’re just taking the day off today. Relaxing together, thought it might be nice to have pancakes.” Allen explained when Connor looked over at them.

"I'm sure it's nice," Connor offered hesitantly. His eyes tracked as Sixty's hand reached down and linked with Allen's on his stomach, giving it a squeeze.

"Could Connor stay for breakfast? He loves pancakes," Sixty asked Allen with big doe eyes.

The idea of Sixty having to ask for permission like that in his own home rankled Connor but he wasn't going to say anything. Not now and not to Allen's face.

Allen didn’t hesitate at all when he replied, “Whatever you want, babe. You don’t have to ask permission.” He didn’t particularly love the idea of sharing a breakfast table with Connor while he was still recovering from injuries he had somewhat inflicted, but he supposed this was the first step to mending their relationship. And if that was what Sixty wanted...

Allen squeezes his hand back and gave Connor a smile. “Have a seat with your peanut butter, we’re just about finished here.”

Caught between wanting to leave but also wanting pancakes, Connor looked between Allen and Sixty.

"I really don't want to interrupt. I will talk to Sixty when he's not otherwise preoccupied."

That made Sixty frown a little and he sighed.

"He knows." That made Connor freeze, noting how Sixty seemed less hazy and more overly relaxed. It was actually a good look on him.

Allen was shocked that Sixty had decided to drop that bomb on Connor right away, and it showed on his face. Then he regained his composure and turned slightly to face Connor. 

“I don’t...think any less of any of you for it.” Allen said slowly, “I want you to know that I’m going to do my best to be there for Sixty.” He wasn’t sure quite what else to say, given the weird blunt delivery of the secret as it were.

It wasn't often that Connor got flustered but in that moment, he was freewheeling in a wild spin.

"That's...that's good to know." He was feeling like an utter idiot in light of everything that had gone on between him and Allen.

Sixty pulled away from Allen and ushered everyone towards the table. He was going to have to talk to Connor about what the SWAT team had done, but for now he was content to just have a bit of family time. That thought shocked him. It seemed that Allen was now deemed family in his mind. Huh.

Allen let Sixty usher them all to the table, sitting down and watching Connor. It was like he could see the gears turning in the other man’s head, just like Sixty. Well, never let it be said that Allen wasn’t one to try anything for the sake of his boyfriend.

Shooting Connor a wry smile, he said “This is weird for me too. Wanna start again?” He held out a hand, offering a clean slate if Connor wanted it. It was dumb, but it was something better than sitting here awkwardly.

Sitting back, Sixty smiled as Connor hesitantly shook Allen's hand. The tentative restart to the relationship was sweet to watch. To reward them, he dished out a plate of pancakes to each of them. The movement nudged the cage a little and he sighed with a small shiver of pleasure.

"Thank you," he said softly, smiling down at his own plate.

Allen smiled as Connor shook his hand and Sixty dished out the pancakes. “No, thank  _ you _ for cooking this amazing meal.” Allen insisted gently. He glanced at Connor and asked “Can you all cook or did I just get lucky?”

The little shiver hadn’t passed by Allen’s notice, but he didn’t do anything about it. Sixty’s reward would come later.

"I don't know if lucky is the word I'd use when Sixty is in the kitchen," Connor teased. "Unless you mean lucky to have lived."

The indignant 'oi' was laugh off by Connor as he continued, "But he's great at breakfast stuff. Made sure we always went to school with a full stomach so at least we had that if nothing else." Realising what he had said, he bit his tongue.

Allen chuckled, reaching over to pat Sixty on the thigh. "See? I told you I was lucky." He said, "To have such a caring boyfriend." It was funny to watch these two together - he had only ever really seen them from afar before.

Allen was just trying his best to make sure the mood they had so carefully cultivated didn't vanish in an instant.

Still a little uncertain, Connor offered a tentative smile and looked between Sixty and Allen.

"That he most certainly is. Caring, fiercely protective and occasionally oddly sweet." There was a fondness in Connor's voice and he reached for Sixty who lightly ran fingers up his lower arm.

"Shouldn't we be silent with food in our mouths rather than spreading rumours I could never hope to live up to?" He grabbed a pancake for show and crammed half of it in his mouth.

Allen grinned and said “Alright, but only because these smell amazing.” It was a little strange, to get to watch such a tender display of affection between the brothers, but he supposed Connor felt the same way walking in on them hugging earlier. 

Taking his first bite, Allen let out a satisfied hum, commenting “Well you’re certainly living up to the rumor of being a great breakfast cook, babe.”

That brought a flustered flush to Sixty's cheek and he glanced away, trying to hide his delight at being able to please Allen. Next to him, Connor's eyes sparkled.

"You did outdo yourself here, Six," he grinned around a mouthful of pancakes. "Getting real domestic. All you need is a puppy or a snake and you've got yourself a happy little family."

That had Sixty ducking, shooting Allen a terrified glance before turning to Connor.

"Like you and Hank have Sumo?" Unfortunately, it didn't have the desired effect and Connor grinned proudly.

"Exactly! And how Gavin and Nines have Princess."

Allen was surprised by Connor’s boldness, but he had to admit he was more fond of this radical support as opposed to the radical aggression. He shot Sixty a grin and said “I dunno, do you like snakes babe? I’ve never had a pet but we could figure it out.” 

Why make a big fuss out of this when it was something that was actually pretty sweet? Allen was sure Connor had meant it more as a joke, but he was doubling down.

If there was a way to slither down the cracks of the earth and disappear, Sixty would have done that. He was feeling far too vulnerable to be able to cope with such teasing from Connor, only to have Allen pick up on it too. He wasn't even sure whether Allen was teasing or being serious.

"I don't know," he mumbled and focused on his pancakes, trying to pretend the conversation wasn't happening.

"Awww." Connor ruffled his hair. "I'll let you two sort this out." He stood from his chair and gave Sixty's shoulder a squeeze before giving Allen a more subdued and hesitant nod. As much as he was hoping things might be on the mend, he was still rather uncertain around the man without Sixty acting as a buffer. "This has been fun but I'm off to work. See you later."

Allen immediately felt a stab of worry and guilt as he watched Sixty’s face fall like that. He had hoped that joking around with Connor would make Sixty happy, but that clearly wasn’t working out. 

When Connor stood up, Allen returned the nod and said politely “Have a safe drive.” His attention was far more focused on his boyfriend though, wanting to wait until Connor was gone to ask Sixty what was wrong.

Watching Connor leave, Sixty barely dared peer up from his empty plate. In the end, he sent Allen a tight little smile.

"I'll clear the table if you're done?"

Allen frowned and shook his head, saying “Tell me what’s wrong first. You seem upset, and I’m sorry if that’s my fault.” He wasn’t going to let Sixty sweep this under the rug.

The blush had taken up a permanent residence on Sixty's cheeks and he shuffled a little, trying to find the right words.

"All this talk about getting a pet and being a family...I know it was a joke." His voice fell to something barely audible. "It's not funny when it's something that sounds wonderful. But I know it's too soon and you were just messing around."

Allen’s expression softened into a terribly fond smile, and he reached out to set a gentle hand on Sixty’s arm. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.” He said softly, “I wasn’t joking about that because it’s so unbelievable...I only picked up where Connor left off because yeah, maybe in a little while that’s something we can think about.”

Allen paused and added “I was serious when I said I’d never had a pet before, but am open to the idea.”

It left Sixty reeling a little. Okay, reeling a lot. After all the stupid drama and emotional rollercoaster, Allen was looking to a possible future with him. It left Sixty feeling scraped hollow.

"I've never had a pet either. Unless Connor counts." He smiled through wobbly lips.

Allen scooted his chair back and beckoned for Sixty to come sit on his lap. “C’mere, you look like you could use a few kisses” he said kindly. He was hoping the physical contact would help ground Sixty and get him back from the brink of tears.

“I think he might, but let’s keep that a secret” Allen joked with a chuckle.

Grateful for the offer of a cuddle and kisses, Sixty easily abandoned the dirty plates in favour of settling on Allen's lap. He was careful to avoid and bruises or putting pressure on sore areas.

"I think you might be right," he murmured, turning to face Allen, eager to get lost in the promised kisses.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sixty says Allen can have a little cock warming, as a treat!

As soon as he had a lap full of Sixty, Allen wrapped his good arm around him and pulled him as close as he could manage. Smiling, he leaned in and first nuzzled Sixty’s nose before pressing gentle kisses against his lips. 

It was soft, and unhurried, and Allen murmured little thanks for the breakfast and for how sweet he was being in between.

The kisses were gentle and loving, Sixty leaned into them with a sigh, tipping his head and chasing Allen's lips.

"I want to be good for you," he whispered, quietly loving the taste of sugar he stole from Allen's lips, wondering whether there would be more on his tongue. Deciding to push his luck, Sixty tried to deepen the kiss.

“You already are. You’re so good.” Allen murmured, before his mouth was otherwise occupied. He made a soft, pleased sound and parted his lips further, allowing Sixty easy access. His free hand wandered up Sixty’s back and then stopped at his neck, gently kneading and scratching at the short hairs there. Allen didn’t want to risk any hair pulling, so he was keeping his touches there.

As always, Sixty didn't make much noise. So he tried to let his pleasure be obvious in other ways. Sighing into the kisses, he pressed into Allen's hand, arching his chest to get more touch between them. Slowly, he was starting to sink into the headspace he'd had before Connor interrupted and he was turning pliant in Allen's lap, all from just a couple of kisses and kind touches.

Allen could feel Sixty relaxing, and that made him incredibly happy. He wanted to get them back to that slow, happy place they had been in before. Breaking the kiss to breathe, Allen began to pepper gentle kisses along Sixty’s jawline and down his neck.

It was odd, at first he had been so concerned by how quiet his boyfriend was, but now he was getting used to the signs that Sixty was enjoying himself.

It was all too easy for Sixty to tip his head back and accept the softly pressed kiss to his neck. His cock stirred in the cage but he ignored it in favour of him paying attention to Allen.

His words slipped out without much thought. "We can’t have pets when we haven't even decided whether we're in love."

Allen was also starting to feel the effects of all this lazy making out and having Sixty squirming on his lap. But he didn’t let himself focus too much on it, instead allowing the slow burn of pleasure to hum through his whole body.

Smiling against his boyfriend’s throat, Allen replied “We can. We can do things our own way if that makes us happy.” And whenever that included love (which Allen had an inkling it might already) they could have that as well.

The notion of pets and family before love went against everything Sixty had been taught to believe. There was no family without love. Which made him pause, realising he already thought of Allen as family. And that could only mean one thing. Rather than say anything, worried that it was too early for such declarations and that it might repulse Allen, Sixty fell back on his usual safety net; inappropriate, cold and aloof humour.

"The thing we could do our own way that would make me happy is me."

For Allen, doing things together like getting pets or spending time with family just meant they were working towards love. But in his mind, it took a while and some groundwork before 'love' could really take hold. He was a slow and methodical person in much of his life.

The cold joke was obviously hiding something, but Allen decided not to press. Trying to wrangle Sixty into a good mood that would last was like trying to hold water down, but he was determined to manage. 

"Not quite yet." Allen purred, pressing one more kiss to Sixty's pulse point, "Can you be patient with me a little while longer?"

Doing his best to reel himself back in, Sixty sagged into the touch.

"I'll be anything you want me to be," he murmured, subdued.

“I want you to be happy” Allen said, smiling up at him, “That’s what today’s about, remember?” His hand was gently rubbing up and down Sixty’s back, trying to get him to calm back down.

Slouching, Sixty let himself be lulled into the forever calm oasis that was Allen and his presence. He even dared lean closer to nuzzle against his neck with a small sigh.

"I want you to be happy too," he murmured, taking slow, deliberately even breaths.

Allen hummed a little tuneless melody as Sixty relaxed against him, pleased that his efforts were being rewarded. “I’m very happy, because you’re here with me.” He replied simply.

Yet again, Allen had managed to make it all sound so beautifully simple and Sixty envied his skill. He was actually managing to convince himself to relax and allow his brain to shut up for a little while. Sinking into the mood Allen was conjuring up, Sixty found himself smiling.

"Perhaps I don't tell you this enough, but you make me so very very happy. Thank you."

“You’re more than welcome” Allen said, pressing one last kiss to Sixty’s cheek before he pulled back a little to look at him properly. It felt like they were probably in a safe space to dally in a little more sexual play, but Allen wanted to also keep things slow and soft.

“Let’s head over to the sofa. I think we could watch some movies together while you keep my cock warm.” He suggested, reaching up to gently stroke Sixty’s cheek.

A little shiver of thrill passed through Sixty at the idea. His mind was trying to work out logistics already, wanting to second guess what exactly his boyfriend wanted. If they wanted to watch a film together, Sixty wouldn't be able to use his mouth, the angle wouldn't work. Which meant they would need to get some lube and spend a little bit of time working Sixty open for that.

"Which hole did you wish to use?" he asked in then end, unable to figure out just what Allen wanted.

“Let’s put this pretty little ass to work” Allen purred, giving Sixty’s butt a gentle squeeze just to drive the point home. The thought of sitting and letting his cock just rest inside of Sixty’s willing body was more than enough to have Allen sighing in excitement.

“We’ll have to get up and get some lube and get you prepped, okay?”

Heart thudding in chest, Sixty nodded and tried to look a little more calm than he felt as he went to get the lube. Just to be on the safe side and wanting to please, he grabbed the glass plug too, in case Allen wanted to use it on him once he was done.

"How would you like me?" He asked, standing in front of Allen on the sofa.

Allen got up as well, waiting for Sixty in the living room as he considered his options. “Why don’t you bend over for me, sweetheart.” He said smoothly, patting at the arm of the sofa, “Once you’re good and ready we can both sit down.”

It was the best option Allen could find in terms of ease of access, and the image of Sixty bent over like that, well, he was already halfway to hard at this point.

The arm of the sofa was soft against Sixty's stomach and he whimpered a little as the cage brushed against it. He moved for a moment and pulled his t-shirt over his head, using it to cover the arm so if he did leak, at least he wouldn't stain the sofa. Shimmying out of his sweatpants, he took up position again and looked over his shoulder at Allen, wondering if he had done the right thing.

Allen let out a low, appreciative noise that was halfway to a moan. “God you’re beautiful” he murmured, approaching Sixty and letting his eyes rake over his form. Allen gently set his hand on his boyfriend’s back and slid it down to cup his ass, fingers kneading at the flesh there. There were so many freckles and moles scattered across Sixty’s back, and Allen leaned down to kiss a few. He couldn’t help himself.

Beautiful wasn't a word Sixty had been called before and he preened at it. The way Allen seemed to worship him with a few touches and brushes of lips had him pressing back into them, craving to be good.

Despite himself, a soft whimper wormed its way to his throat and Sixty buried his face in the crook of an elbow. Words begging Allen to do more were crowding against the tip of his tongue but he didn't dare make a noise.

Allen could tell Sixty was getting impatient, and despite wanting to lavish him in attention, Allen also didn’t want to tease. So instead he grabbed the bottle of lube and fumbled about with one hand until he managed to get some on his fingers so he could start opening Sixty up.

Despite his earlier protests of being able to handle more faster, Allen still started with one finger slowly pressing into his hole. He didn’t wait too long before adding a second though, starting to stretch Sixty with a minimal amount of teasing.

It was just as well that Sixty had the foresight to put his t-shirt down as a cover. His cock was leaking, making the cage feel slick around him. He gripped the sofa under his hands and his head fell forward as he tried to catch his breath. Allen's fingers were wonderfully unrelenting, keeping him just shy of his limits in the best of ways.

The idea of being opened up for Allen to use as he wanted, to keep him warm while they watched something filled Sixty with a sense of calm satisfaction. He could do that for Allen, keep him interested but not get him off until told to do so. It was something he was really looking forward to.

Allen was similarly very interested in how this was going to feel, his own cock filling out as he enjoyed the sight and feeling of stretching Sixty open. He had never even  _ thought _ about cockwarming before, so to have such a willing partner to experiment with was both thrilling and also a little touching. That Sixty trusted him enough to do this...

Once he was satisfied with his work, Allen gently patted the small of Sixty’s back with his sticky hand, saying “Alright, up you get. One question, before you don’t have to make decisions anymore - condom on or off?” They had done it both ways before, and Allen wasn’t sure which one his boyfriend preferred.

Feeling more comfortable and trusting Allen, Sixty offered him a shy slip of a smile.

"Off, please."

He turned and stood up, looking down at Allen with fondness. Daring to be a little more assertive, he stole a kiss with a tiny hum of contentment.

Despite his earlier thoughts on this taking a while, Allen could almost feel himself falling in love with that shy little smile. It was just so sweet, it made him want to keep Sixty safe from the world. 

“Let’s get started then.” Allen said, smiling up at Sixty and chasing his lips for one last kiss. With that, he sat down on the sofa and slipped his dick out of his pants, not even bothering to pull them down.

The idea of Allen being fully clothed in the face of Sixty's nudity sent a pulse of arousal through him and his cock tried to fill out in its cage.

"Yes please," Sixty breathed. He let Allen guide him down onto his dick and sighed as he was filled up. Leaning back, Sixty's head dropped onto Allen's shoulder and he turned to place a kiss on the skin he could reach.

Allen groaned softly as Sixty slid down onto him, letting out a shaky breath as he finally bottomed out. It took every ounce of self control not to just thrust up, but Allen kept his eyes focused on how beautiful Sixty was and reminded himself that there was no rush. 

Eventually the urge to move faded, and Allen let himself sink instead into the soft, relaxed pleasure of Sixty’s weight on his lap and a warm pressure around his cock. “You’re perfect.” He praised, pressing kisses to the back of Sixty’s neck as he wrapped one arm around his waist.

This was absolute perfection. Sixty sighed in bliss and moved Allen's arm up to his chest, over the still healing tattoo outline. Under the warm, broad palm, his heart was thundering away. Without thinking, he linked their fingers and held on lightly.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Sixty asked softly. He wasn't sure what he could do but felt compelled to ask. His own pleasure derived from Allen's to an extent after all.

Allen’s smile widened as Sixty linked their hands together over his tattoo. This was somehow far more intimate than anything he had ever experienced, more than any sex or any romantic gesture. He could feel Sixty’s heart thudding under his palm, and he squeezed their linked fingers gently.

“You can go ahead and turn on the TV, let’s relax and watch a movie.” Allen suggested, wanting to prolong this enjoyment as much as possible. Besides, his good hand was totally occupied, so that task fell to Sixty.

Turning the TV on, Sixty blushed and tensed as the program started up. It seemed innocent enough, a young couple who were house hunting for the perfect home. He was about to change when Allen's hand disentangled from the one on his chest and stilled the other from switching.

He probably thought it was some typical house hunting series. If only. It was the last porn Sixty had on a little while ago. He loved the ones that started off with a sweet story, seemingly innocent. This particular couple were only minutes away from finding a sex dungeon in a house they were looking at. And testing it.

Allen felt Sixty tense on his lap, but he couldn’t be entirely sure why. Maybe he had shifted slightly and it had felt nice? Maybe he was about to sneeze? Regardless, this TV program looked perfect. Allen had wanted to relax and enjoy something entirely domestic with Sixty, to let them both take their minds off of any troubles.

As the program continued, Allen suddenly realized why Sixty had stiffened up. Oh. Ohhhhh. This wasn’t a house hunting show. A tiny smirk twisted Allen’s lips up, and he rested his head against Sixty’s shoulder, murmuring “Is this something you enjoyed recently?”

Squirming, Sixty couldn't tear his eyes from the screen despite a ferocious blush colouring his cheek. Hesitantly, he nodded. There was no point in denying it. Nobody other than he lived there, let alone watched porn.

"I'm sorry," he managed to whisper.

“Don’t apologize” Allen insisted firmly, “Did I say I wasn’t enjoying it?” He couldn’t say this was the kind of porn he watched, but it was...intriguing. And Sixty liked it, which was honestly the most important part. 

Allen’s hand stroked lightly over the tattoo outline again, as he said “Relax, I’m not going to judge you.”

Doing his utmost best to relax and do as told, Sixty took a shuddering breath and nodded. He kept his eyes on the TV but his hand took Allen's and guided it down to the cage around his cock, enjoying the warmth that bled through the metal.

The thing he enjoyed most about what they were watching was how natural it was. He could almost believe the couple were in love even as they did sordid things together. In a way, Sixty was curious to know what Allen's reaction was going to be when the cuffs and floggers came out.

Allen didn’t mind Sixty taking the initiative in this instance, because Allen was still learning what he liked. He kept his hand wrapped loosely around the cage, not moving, and pressed the occasional kiss to Sixty’s shoulder.

Allen’s eyes were glued to the screen as the couple discovered more and more depravities. Strangely, this made a lot of sense given what he knew about Sixty - he used kinky things to cover up his secret love of domestic bliss. It made Allen smile against his shoulder, happy to be providing some of both for his boyfriend.

When the more kinky things came out, Allen raised an eyebrow and asked “Are you into this kind of stuff?”

Considering the fact that Allen was still hard in him, Sixty took it as a good sign. He turned to look at him, expression open and vulnerable.

"I've never done it with anyone, but in theory? Very much so. You?"

He glanced back to the TV just in time to see a hard spank and he tightened reflexively, breath coming in a soft gasp as if he had been the one hit.

“I’ve never thought about it, but I’d love to try it with you” Allen replies, equally as honest. The restraints were more interesting to him than the impact toys, but the way Sixty reacted to that spank...

Allen groaned, the sudden squeeze around his dick delightful. It was becoming more and more tempting to forget the cock warming and just get them both a good orgasm.

The idea of Allen wanting to try these things with Sixty was delightful.

"Think you could come but not let me come yet?" He asked softly. The idea of Allen taking his pleasure but making Sixty wait and work for his own was so tempting. Maybe Allen would make him try and stay to get him hard again. Or plug him up and leave him to squirm a little more. He did have the key after all and was in full control of what Sixty could have and when.

Allen drew in a small, sharp breath at the idea. It seemed weirdly cruel on some level, but Sixty was asking him for it, so it must be satisfying to him. Besides, the thought of using his boyfriend and then continuing to sit and plug him up after coming was enough to have Allen’s cock twitching inside of Sixty.

“You make me feel so good, I think that’ll be easy” Allen purred.

Settling further down on Allen's cock, Sixty gripped his hand.

"Please. Use me." He rolled his hips a little, lips falling open on a hitched breath as Allen pressed deeper into him. Sixty found that he wanted Allen to come, to claim him and fill him up. Not quite daring to ask, he instead pressed down against Allen, drawing his muscles tight around him.

How could Allen resist such a sweet request? He squeezed Sixty’s hand in return and rolled his hips up. The combination of Sixty clenching and that first slide had Allen letting out a small moan. 

“Oh fuck” he huffed, “You feel amazing, darling, you just sit there and let me use you.”

That was exactly what Sixty had wanted. And he gasped as Allen started to fuck up into him. Idly, he watched the couple on the screen who had also moved onto having sex, much more soft and gentle than what their previous play would have suggested. Sixty wondered whether Allen was deliberately matching their pace or if it was a subconscious thing.

It didn't matter though as Sixty got lost in the way Allen moved in him and worked kisses into the skin of his neck and shoulder. Despite his best efforts, Sixty's head was falling back onto Allen's shoulder, small huffs of breath were punched out of him with each movement, his mind slowly blanking out.

Allen really wished he had use of both his hands right now, so he could lift Sixty up and down on his cock to properly use him. As it was, his motions weren’t as smooth or deep as he would have liked, but the pleasure was very real and already pooling low in his belly.

As he listened to Sixty breathing and the couple on the television, Allen slowly began to suck hickeys across his shoulder and up and neck. It was just natural, with his mouth right there and Sixty so incredibly pliant in his lap.

Tilting his head to the side, Sixty invited more kisses which would probably leave red and purple marks behind. Distantly, he was aware of a lecture about the dangers of hickies on the neck, especially the carotids but it was such a far distant thought, he ignored it. Instead he gently rolled against Allen's thrusts, trying to help angle it just so and make pleasure spike through him. A grunt huffed out of him when they succeeded.

Once Sixty started to visibly enjoy the hickeys, Allen couldn’t stop himself. He littered them across all the skin he could reach, adoring the fact that he was leaving a mark on his boyfriend. The thought of those marks staying visible had him groaning in pleasure, his body starting to tense already. 

He had been slowly letting the arousal build all morning, so now it was easy for it to start spiking. As he neared the edge, Allen started to softly moan out little cries of Sixty’s name. He wasn’t usually too quiet when he was about to get off, and this was no exception.

It was too much to stay turned away from Allen when Sixty could feel him thickening in anticipation of his orgasm. Turning a little, he clumsily mashed their lips together, clenching tight around the hard cock in him.

"Please, Fletch. Claim me as yours."

Sixty clenching down at the same time he made that sweet plea...Allen practically felt his orgasm  _ slam _ into him. He moaned into Sixty's mouth as he came, hips twitching and jolting up into him as Allen worked through the aftershocks.

Even though Sixty didn't come, he still found his eyes slipping shut and pleasure washing through him as he gently kept moving to ease Allen through the aftershocks. He was twisted in Allen's lap and could see how his face had gone lax with pleasure - it was definitely a good look on him. Gently, he kept moving, even though Allen was going soft and come trickled from Sixty's hole. His own cock was leaking copiously, leaving smears along the insides of his thighs. It all felt perfect and Sixty didn't know how to keep the moment going, wishing it could last forever.

Allen let his eyes slide closed as pleasure burned through him, all that tight energy slowly bleeding out until he was loose and boneless. Everything felt wonderfully distant, Allen only slowly coming back to his senses as he felt Sixty moving on top of him. He looked up and gave him a soft, dopey smile.

“Hey gorgeous” he murmured, his free hand slowly stroking up and down Sixty’s side. It was good to see his face again, especially looking so fucked out and perfect. Allen could feel his cock starting to slip out of Sixty’s hole, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to grab the plug just yet.

Leaning into the touch, Sixty sighed. He was rather comfortable where he was, whole body pleasantly humming with pleasure.

"I promise I'm not squeezing you out," he murmured, remembering how Allen had pulled a face last time Sixty had squeezed him out after sex. To combat the slipping, he tried to clench down around Allen and hold him in longer but it wasn't helping in the slightest.

Allen chuckled tiredly, not having worried about that at all with how blissed out he was. “Grab the plug, I want to keep you full even once I pull out.” He murmured, watching Sixty’s face carefully to see how he reacted to that idea. Now that he was soft again, the clenching and squeezing was starting to edge closer to overstimulation.

Reaching for the plug, Sixty gave silent thanks they had the foresight to keep it close, along with the lube. He offered it to Allen with a small bout of shyness. Now that Allen had his pleasure, he wondered whether their play was still enjoyable for him or if it was going to be a chore.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," he said, eyes flicking to Allen's face then away. "I don't know how you feel about extended play."

For a second Allen’s tired brain didn’t know what Sixty meant by ‘extended play’. Once he did, he shook his head and leaned forward to kiss Sixty, slow and gentle. Every time something like this happened, he became even more determined to treat him right.

“I feel like today is about making you feel good, so we’ll play as long as you like.” Allen said firmly, smiling at Sixty as he took the plug. “You have to help me get this slicked up though, I don’t have enough hands.”

Sometimes it was worth taking a risk. Sixty knew his hole was well and truly sloppy with lube and come. Which meant he didn't need to slather the toy too. He also knew that the toy was clean. It was something he was meticulous about. So he leaned forward and licked the glass bulb, keeping eye contact with Allen as he then wrapped his lips around the toy. Pulling away, he was satisfied to see the toy thoroughly coated in his saliva.

A moan slipped out of Allen’s throat as he watched that particularly lewd display. “Fuck, babe, that’s hot” he murmured, reaching to take the toy once Sixty had properly coated it. 

It took a little bit of work and some wiggling, but Allen managed to slip out of Sixty and place the plug against his hole to stop any more come from trickling out. Slowly, he pushed the plug inside, impressed by how easily it slipped in.

All thoughts blinked out of existence as Allen pushed the plug into Sixty's body. He could just about muster up a crude "oh fuck" as his cock twitched helplessly in its cage.

As soon as the plug was settled, he was back to kissing Allen, cupping his cheek and tilting his head to get a better angle. Despite having played umpteen number of times with the plug, it had never felt so good as when Allen had full control. Sixty felt full not just in terms of the plug but his heart and head too.

Allen eagerly turned his head to better low Sixty access to his lips. This was incredible, more fulfilling than any sex he’d had before. His hand stayed down on Sixty’s ass, kneading at the flesh there, no doubt jostling the plug slightly inside of him.

Allen wasn’t sure when Sixty would reach his limit and need to get off, but he was content to stay here for a long while longer.

TV completely ignored, Sixty turned to straddle Allen. His breaths were coming short and sharp, breaking up the kiss. No doubt he was making a terrible mess of his clothes but Sixty couldn't bring himself to care in that moment. Instead, his hand twisted into the chain around Allen's neck and clung on.

"Keep that up and I won't be able to hold back a lot longer," he managed to warn. "Tell me when I can come."

With that warning, Allen's hand stilled, running slowly up Sixty's side to come rest on the tattoo on his chest. A safer location, given the fact that he didn't want this to end right away. Allen was smiling through the kisses, not caring at all about the mess happening to his clothes. Not like he couldn't wash pajamas.

"Relax, we'll wait just a little bit longer." Allen murmured, "You're so pretty like this, I want to keep you here." 

The reprieve was a welcome one. Sixty tipped their foreheads together and tried to catch his breath.

"I want to stay here with you. For as long as you'll have me. Forever if possible."

He was flayed open, heart on show for Allen to inspect and dissect as he wished. Sixty was helpless against it but then again, here wouldn't have it any other way.

"Forever works well for my schedule." Allen said, smiling as he rubbed his thumb idly across the image of the reaper Sixty had inked into himself. There was something so incredible about how easily Sixty opened himself up and allowed Allen to see his true emotions and wants. It made him feel special, and honored, given how stand-offish and defensive Sixty usually was around others.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warm baths and extra orgasms - what's not to love? Hm. Maybe it's a bit soon for 'love' but you get the picture ;)

They exchanged a few more lazy kisses and Sixty's hand linked with Allen's. There were words on his lips he couldn't quite say. Not yet. Especially not when their minds were still addled by sex.

"I'm yours," he whispered, bringing Allen's hand up to his lips and kissing the knuckles. Sitting up made the plug shift in him, the base pressed against Allen's thigh. It was tantalising, made him bite his lip and tilt his head back, exposing the line of his throat unwittingly.

Allen could tell how emotional Sixty was, and he wanted to make sure that he didn't get upset again. It had been a rollercoaster of a day, and he didn't want to end it on a bad dip. "Mine" he murmured in reply, leaning forward and kissing up the column of Sixty's throat. 

"More?" Allen asked, not wanting to overwhelm Sixty by marking him up too much.

"You already made a mark on my heart. I bear ink for you on my skin. At this point you can do anything you want."

Sixty guided Allen's lips to his bare throat, quivering with anticipation.

Allen hummed his satisfaction before setting his lips against Sixty’s pulse and beginning to suck another hickey there. He found that the idea of others knowing about his claim made his heart race. This close to the end of an orgasm, his dick twitched valiantly but didn’t get properly hard.

The feel of Allen twitching against him had Sixty melting even more. He had never felt more desired or cherished and it was most definitely addictive. His own cock was almost painful in the cage, as filled out as possible.

A quiet little "please" fell from his lips, hoping Allen knew what he needed because he was pretty sure he didn't know anymore.

As much as the idea of drawing this out appealed to Allen, he could tell Sixty needed relief. Pulling back slightly, he pulled the chain off over his head and reached down to unlock the cock cage. 

It was a bit of a fumbled, but soon enough Allen had his hand on Sixty’s cock and his mouth on his throat. He purred in encouragement, wanting nothing more than to feel him fall apart.

Sixty was almost there. The mouth on his throat was scorching hot, the hand around his cock just the right amount of harsh. He ground back against Allen's thigh, pressing the plug in deeper, rolling against it and bearing down on it, loving how futile his efforts were. Sixty keened.

"Tell me I can come. Please!" He begged, breathless and lost, hand gripping Allen's good shoulder.

Allen pulled back with some regret, freeing up his mouth to order Sixty in a low, firm tone "Come for me, c'mon baby." He twisted his wrist, trying to find just the right kind of friction on Sixty's cock that would push him over the edge.

The command, the twist of Allen's wrist and the plug pressing against his straining muscles all worked together and Sixty shuddered as he came. He lost track of everything except the pleasure spiralling through him. Distantly, he was aware of Allen under him, of his own come making a mess between them but the only thing Sixty could focus on was bucking between the plug and the hand firm around him, pulling the pleasure from him.

Sixty was just as gorgeous when he came as Allen had thought he would be. Completely lost in pleasure, chasing more of it without seemingly any acknowledgement of the person he was on top of. Allen loved it.

He murmured soft encouragement and praise as he continued to work Sixty through his orgasm. There was mess all over both of them, but Allen was already planning on taking a bath together, so it didn’t matter.

Ever so slowly, the pleasure ebbed away and Sixty was left gasping and blinking at Allen dumbly. Mind still not quite thinking, Sixty chewed on his bottom lip, leaving it shiny with spit.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Allen let go of Sixty once he regained coherence, hand instead soothing across his stomach. He could still feel Sixty's muscles trembling slightly under his touch.

"You are so, so welcome." Allen replied, leaning in and pressing a kiss to those abused lips.

Head still not quite back on straight, Sixty melted into the kiss with a muffled moan when the plug shifted in him. He wasn't quite ready to move away from Allen, basking in his warmth and steady presence. Accepting the kiss, he leaned into it, deepening it and hoping it conveyed what he didn't have words for.

Allen gladly allowed Sixty to deepen the kiss. He was very pleased with himself for reducing Sixty to such a relaxed and blissed out state, especially on his first try with this whole controlling thing. Basking in the afterglow together was a wonderful reward.

Between the slow comedown from an incredible orgasm, the lazy kisses and warmth from Allen, Sixty did something he had never really achieved by himself. He was getting surprisingly sleepy.

Or at least, if he didn't sleep then at the very least he was tempted to slip onto a state of just existing. He broke away from the kiss and tucked his face into the crook of Allen's neck, blinks getting longer.

"S'nice," he mumbled.

Allen happily wrapped an arm around Sixty as he snuggled in close. It was tempting to let his own eyes slip closer as well, but he could feel the mess between them and knew that would be a problem if he didn’t tackle it soon.

“It is.” Allen agreed with a smile, patting gently at Sixty’s back, “Think you can get up and make it to the bathroom? We can soak together in the tub while I clean you up.”

As loathe as Sixty was to move, he knew they had to. Reluctantly, he pulled away and sighed when the plug shifted in him again. It made him wonder whether Allen would make him keep it in for the bath. The idea made him shiver in warm delight.

"Comin'?" he asked with a lazy smile as he got up and extended a hand to Allen.

Allen noticed the way Sixty reacted as he got up, and made the decision not to take the plug out. Sure, it would be messy later, but Sixty seemed to be very satisfied with it. 

"Absolutely." He said, smiling back as he took the offered hand and stood with a soft groan. Allen's body was stiff from being sat on, but it was nothing a warm bath wouldn't solve.

It seemed that neither of them were fully capable of walking steadily so Sixty held up Allen while trying to stay upright himself. A small giggle built up in his chest and burst out in a snort.

"I'm glad nobody can see us. We're a pair of disasters." He still felt a little floaty, smiles coming easily and he snickered in the bathroom as he tried to help Allen strip out of his soiled t-shirt. It was a lost cause, trying to do it without smearing come everywhere. "I'll help you wash your hair," Sixty sniggered.

Allen laughed along, especially as Sixty fumbled the shirt off him and smeared cum all over. "You just wanted an excuse to mark me up" He teased with a lazy grin. He didn't mind at all.

"I would love it if you washed my hair." Allen added, very excited at the prospect of this relaxing excuse to do some gentle touching,

More intimacy and closeness had Sixty's heart swelling with hope and desire. He ran the water and stepped in, reaching for Allen to follow.

"Rinse first." He wriggled a little, feeling the plug move again. Ignoring it for now, Sixty helped Allen get under the spray and set to work, getting his hair wet before reaching for the shampoo.

Allen stepped in and crowded close to Sixty, enjoying the feeling of the relaxed skin on skin contact. He had always loved taking baths together. He smiled up happily at Sixty as he worked, then turned obediently so he could get his hair washed. Allen leaned back into the touch, humming happily at the scalp massage.

Putting the focus back on Allen was a good thing. It gave Sixty a chance to put all his  love emotions into a physical act and allow for getting lost in his head. He tried to be gentle, helping Allen lean against his chest, tipping his head back onto his shoulder. His touches weren't strictly just washing hair, Sixty's fingers skimmed over Allen's chest, sometimes he turned his head to kiss along Allen's jaw. The suds had long since washed away but he wasn't done adoring his boyfriend yet.

Allen completely melted under the gentle touches. He was a pretty physical guy, and cuddling or other intimate touching was a big part of a relationship for him. So this was just the perfect sort of moment for Allen.

He hummed his contentment as Sixty pampered him, turning to and fro to allow better access and more touching. Allen wasn’t the type to keep silent, making sure his boyfriend knew he was satisfied.

The way Allen offered himself up to Sixty's ministrations seemed like a bit of a shift in dynamic. Oddly, Sixty welcomed it.

"You're so good for me," he purred against Allen's skin. "Gorgeous, pliant, so pretty the way you beg for more without words."

His hands began to press into the muscles along Allen's back, kneading any knots he found. Wherever his hands moved, his lips followed and whispered words of praise into Allen's skin.

In the back of his mind, Allen knew he should be taking more control of the situation. But he didn’t really feel like it right now, not with Sixty so willingly being so good to him. 

“You were so good for me, I want to do the same” Allen purred in response. It felt incredible, and a soft, pleased moan escaped as Sixty’s hands found a knot in his back and worked it loose.

"You're perfect just as you are. More than good. You're a dream come true." Sixty's hands trembled reverently against Allen's skin and he nudged the tap so the bath began to fill up. Keeping Allen's back to his chest, he urged them down, leaning back. The tub was cold against his skin but Sixty grit his teeth against it, it was Allen's turn to be spoilt. His cock had other ideas though and was slowly filling out a little as the plug pressed deeper into him.

Allen was grateful for the change in position, as his chest was starting to protest all the movement. He had sacrificed any sort of thought for his own comfort earlier on the sofa, and now he was happy to be pampered. Allen leaned back against Sixty and smiled at the praise.

“I just want to make you happy” he murmured, head falling back against Sixty’s shoulder so he could look up at his boyfriend through his lashes. “Use me if you want, today is about you.” It hasn’t occurred to him earlier, but the thought of using himself as a tool to pleasure Sixty was incredibly tempting.

It wasn't what Sixty wanted in that moment. If he was going to get off again, it would be not for a while yet. He had Allen in his lap to pamper.

"Both of us. It's about you and me," he insisted. Slowly his lips worked dark bruises into Allen's neck and shoulders, teeth worrying the skin there. "Want you happy. Want you relaxed. Want you to love it."

He almost said "love me" instead of "love it" but changed his words the last moment, almost seamlessly.

Allen sighed happily, eyes slipping closed as Sixty began to suck hickies onto his skin. This was incredibly nice, and his body was completely relaxing against his boyfriend. The continued attention was, in fact, causing him to get hard, but the feeling of arousal was distant and not urgent. 

“I’m so happy, Sixty” Allen reassured him, running his hand lazily along Sixty’s thigh, “You make me feel so fucking incredible, no matter what we’re doing.”

Carefully, Sixty tangled their legs and let out a soft grunt as it changed the angle of the plug again, making it press against his prostate.

"That's all I ever wanted. You happy."

He continued to rub Allen's chest, finding all the sore muscles and easing the tightness from them. Ever so lightly he scraped down his sides with his nails, teasing for a response.

Allen shivered as Sixty’s nails scraped down his sides, legs shifting and rubbing together. “We have the same goals then.” He murmured, turned his head to press a lazy kiss to Sixty’s neck, the only skin he could reach without moving.

The water was getting deep enough for them to both be comfortable when Sixty had an idea. He shuffled them around a little, until Allen was on his good side and Sixty facing him once the water was turned off. It made it so much easier to kiss Allen and stroke all the way up his body from thigh to cheek.

"Is this still okay?" Sixty's voice was low, quiet, almost scared that speaking up would break whatever mood they had settled into.

Allen was surprised by the sudden change in position, but he didn’t struggle. Instead, he relaxed and allowed Sixty to arrange them, smiling at his boyfriend as they were suddenly face to face. How clever. Allen indulged in another kiss before replying to soothe Sixty’s worries.

“This is perfect. I love spending time like this with you.”

That was all Sixty could ask for. He settled in, let his hand keep wandering but he let his eyes slip shut, one leg haphazardly tangled with Allen's. Drifting between wakefulness and sleep, he sighed, enjoying the way they were plastered together, the tub a little too small for two grown men. He contemplated moving them around again, letting Allen lie on top of him once more but this time, chest to chest. In the end, he stayed, happy as he was.

Allen’s bad arm was on the top, above the water, so he couldn’t reach out and touch Sixty the way he wanted to. It was frustrating, but he settled instead for nuzzling in close, pressing wet and soft kisses against his boyfriend’s skin. Allen was more than happy to lay there with Sixty, but as the water started to cool he began to get squirmy. 

“Sixty...darling...” Allen murmured, “Are you with me?”

A lazy smile tugged at Sixty's lips as he opened his eyes.

"Always with you," he replied then frowned. "Water's getting cold."

Shifting around he managed to sit up and helped Allen too. They sat, facing each other and Sixty offered a hand as he stood, deciding it was time to relax somewhere other than a cooling bath. Once out of the tub, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Allen, gently patting him down before getting one for himself.

Allen chuckled fondly at how seriously Sixty had taken him, but didn't say anything. Instead, he stood up and let Sixty dry him off, stretching a little to get feeling into a few cramped limbs. Once Sixty grabbed his own towel, Allen reached out his hand, saying "Here, let me try. One handed will be a challenge, but I want to do something for you."

Somewhat reluctant to let Allen do any work, Sixty hesitated in passing the towel over but he did it anyway. He stood stock still, unsure how to act in the face of such care.

"Shall we go back to the sofa and watch something a little more calming?" he offered in the end, trying to make a joke of it but it didn't feel too funny.

“Relax....I want to do this for you.” Allen soothed, feeling how tense Sixty was as he dried him off. It seemed as though now that they were done with their scene that Sixty was no longer comfortable receiving kindness, and that made Allen terribly sad.

Stretching up to kiss his boyfriend on the cheek, Allen agreed “Certainly. But only if you let me snuggle you.”

The kiss settled the rising tension in Sixty and he cursed himself for letting his head almost ruin things yet again.

"Why don't you go settle on the sofa and get comfortable? Maybe pick out something to watch too? I've got a couple of things to take care of."

With their scene over, he was going to get the plug out and find something comfortable to wear. And maybe grab some ice cream from the freezer to complete their snuggling.

Allen had a guess as to what Sixty meant when he said “a couple things to take care of” but he didn’t want to press. “Anything I can help with?” He asked, “I’ve gotta grab some clothes first anyways.” He gestured to the pile of his soiled clothes with a soft chuckle.

"I very much doubt you want to be licking jizz off my thighs again," Sixty managed to turn his snide leer away from Allen to hide it. "You go get comfortable. I've done this alone before, you don't need to worry about it."

Allen shot Sixty a reassuring smile, one hand stroking gently down his side. He was beginning to hate those really lewd expressions, just because he could tell they were covering up Sixty’s actual feelings. He was going to have to work on that.

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.” Allen reassured, “And besides, that was incredible last time.”

Uncertain about how to proceed, Sixty looked up at Allen, at an utter loss. He didn't know what the correct etiquette was and his usual brushoff had been met head on with kindness.

"Because the plug's been in for a little while, it might take a bit to work it out again and it may be messy. I'm sure you have better, more comfortable places to be."

Allen shrugged, replying “If you don’t want me there I won’t push. But I want to help you. Helping you is just as good, if not better, than just waiting while you struggle on your own.” He had never helped someone with this kind of thing, but he wasn’t going to just abandon Sixty as soon as things got less than sexy.

It never occurred to Sixty that this was a choice he was allowed to have a say in. Somehow, he had assumed that with the fun part over, Allen would have better things to do. He dithered over his words at an utter loss, hands uselessly hanging by his sides.

"I mean. It's not sexy. At least it never has been by myself." He swallowed thickly, heart in his throat. "I don't know if it could ever really feel good."

Allen took one of those dangling hands and pulled it up, pressing a kiss to the knuckles. “I’m not dating you just for sexy times.” He stated matter-of-factly, “I’m here for the whole time. For you, specifically.” If it was going to be an uncomfortable process he especially wanted to be there to make sure Sixty was alright.

A very unintelligent "oh" was all Sixty could say to that, especially when Allen kissed his knuckles. The plug was getting rather uncomfortable now and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"If you really mean it, could you help please?" he whispered, eyes glued to the floor, meek and scared that he was asking for help with something he could well do by himself.

Allen nodded, smiling as Sixty finally agreed to let him help. “Absolutely. You just get where it’s most comfortable for you, and I’ll help you take it out.” He agreed. It probably made the most sense to do something like this here, where there was less mess, but Allen didn’t know Sixty’s habits.

The blush Sixty had been valiantly fighting until that moment eventually won the battle. He flushed and stammered a little.

"I've never done this with someone before. And I've never been a fan of fake come so-" he trailed off, hoping Allen would have mercy on him and tell him what was acceptable in such a situation. Standing in the bathtub and bending over seemed the most sensible but it also struck him as oddly clinical and distant.

Allen would have to appreciate just how amazing Sixty looked when he was blushing later. Because now it seemed like there was a sense of urgency and awkwardness to the situation that Allen didn’t want to prolong.

Unfortunately for both of them, Allen also didn’t know what the protocol for this was. He’d never really played around with toys with any of his partners. But he could take charge of a situation pretty instinctively, and he did so now. 

“Okay, let’s go sit down together on the edge of the tub. Are you comfortable resting across my lap? That way I can work it out of you and you don’t have to strain your legs.”

Letting Allen settle comfortably first, Sixty gently lowered himself across his lap and shivered. It all felt so vulnerable and he couldn't quite settle. He knew Allen would be gentle and kind, had never really been anything but. And yet, Sixty still couldn't quite relax into it, something was missing. He also realised why he had been so reluctant for Allen to help.

"What happens if I accidentally get hard again?"

Allen could tell Sixty was nervous, and he gently smoothed his hand across his back, trying to calm him down. Until he started to, Allen wasn’t going to risk pulling the plug out, since that would go so much better if he wasn’t so tense.

Well, that was a valid question, Allen supposed. “If you get hard again I can get you off. Or if you don’t want to we don’t have to do anything.” He replied, remembering Sixty’s earlier refusal.

As always, Allen made it sound so easy and Sixty took a couple of deeper breaths to try and steady himself. He didn't want to seem greedy or insatiable, worried that Allen would think less of him or think that Sixty didn't find him enough.

"It sometimes helps to get off," he admitted quietly, almost ashamed. "But I don't want you to feel like it's a chore you must do."

Allen really didn’t want to try and read into why Sixty was so embarrassed about this, because then he’d probably end up angry at whatever dumb idiot had convinced him this was wrong. His hand was rubbing gentle circles into Sixty’s lower back now in an attempt to comfort him further.

“I’d imagine it does” Allen purred, “Now I don’t have an extra hand or I’d help you out, but can you reach down and help yourself?”

Shifting around a little, Sixty got a hand under him and nodded. He was anything but hard or aroused in that moment, though the way Allen made it all seem so okay, he had a sneaking suspicion it would change.

"I'm ready," he muttered softly. Doing his best to relax his muscles Sixty sagged into Allen's warmth and waited.

Allen took a few moments to massage at Sixty’s ass, taking his time despite the earlier feeling of urgency. “Good. Relax, I’m going to take good care of you, okay? You’re safe here.” He said, keeping up a sort of soothing monologue as he gripped the plug and gave it one initial wiggle to test how firmly it was stuck in there.

The movement caused Sixty's head to drop down with a soft sigh. The plug would probably ease out quite nicely with a small amount of work, it wasn't all that big in the grand scheme of things.

"Yes please," Sixty breathed. "I trust you."

Allen smiled and hummed in satisfaction as he heard and felt Sixty relax. He began to slowly work the plug out of Sixty, using a gentle rocking motion to try and ease any kind of stretch that would be too much right away.

Just as Sixty had thought, Allen's ministrations were getting him aroused. His cock was starting to fill out against his lax hand and he bit back on a soft whine. The rocking of the toy was proving to be his undoing, whether Allen was doing it deliberately or not, each time he let the toy slip back in, he was nudging against Sixty's prostate.

Taking a moment to be brave, Sixty let out a small moan, especially when his already tired hole was once again pulled taut around the toy. It shouldn't have felt so good but the only thing Sixty could feel was pleasure and love.

Allen was grinning just out of sight of Sixty, incredibly pleased at that reaction from him. That was exactly what he had been craving - those sweet noises to confirm he was doing a good job. “That’s good, just like that.” Allen encouraged, “Let me hear that pretty voice, lets me know I’m doing a good job.”

He hadn’t started with the intention to make Sixty come with the toy, but now...

A sob of pleasure tore itself from Sixty's throat when Allen praised him like that. He should have been embarrassed but all he felt was warm delight flood his veins.

Tightening his fingers around his cock, he began to time his movements to Allen's, hips pressing back too.

“Oh fuck, Fletch," he cried. There was no way he was going to last any length of time. Not with the way Allen was teasing him open with the toy. Without a thought, Sixty began to move against the movements, pushing himself until the toy was almost slipping out and his hands needed maybe a few more strokes before he could come.

Allen could feel himself getting hard as well, body singing with arousal and delight at the sights and sounds of Sixty in so much pleasure. "Fuck yeah, just like that, come for me again Sixty" Allen purred, voice low and full of all the desire he wanted to convey to Sixty - how attractive he was when he let go, how incredible it was to finally hear him, the way Allen wished he had his second hand to reach down and help. 

Allen gave the plug one final twisting press before he pulled it out, counting on that last stimulation to tip his boyfriend over the edge.

A soft cry was ripped from Sixty at that and his muscles froze as he came. For a few blissful seconds he was suspended in time and space. His hole ached pleasantly, small pulses of pleasure shooting through him.

At least he had enough control to angle his cock down a little, only making a mess of the floor and his hand rather than Allen. Who, he distantly noted was hard against his skin. In a not quite graceful slither, Sixty slipped down to kneel on the floor and look up at his boyfriend, still a little fucked out but determined to make Allen feel good too.

Allen moaned softly to himself as Sixty came, thoroughly enjoying watching him. He was so gorgeous when he was relaxed and fucked out like this, and Allen was distracted enough that he wasn’t really paying attention to his own arousal.

That is, until Sixty slithered off his lap and landed to perfectly between his legs. Allen’s cock twitched at the sight of Sixty, still woozy, looking up at him with those big brown eyes. “You’re so perfect, so gorgeous for me” Allen murmured, reaching down and stroking lightly across Sixty’s cheek, encouraging him with touch to move forward and take him into his mouth.

Rather than make any more embarrassing noises, Sixty followed Allen's gentle guidance and took his cock between wet lips. One hand was still coated in his own come so he left that to the side while the other wrapped around Allen's shaft.

Even with his mouth full, he still managed to groan a little, relaxing into the weight on his tongue, a hand on his cheek. Letting his mind go blank, Sixty began to try his best to get Allen off just as he'd been shown how to.

Once Sixty got to work, Allen’s hand returned to grip at his own thigh. It was safer than risking pulling at his boyfriend’s hair. The feeling of that warm mouth and the vibration of that groan... Allen’s head tipped back as he relaxed and allowed the pleasure to soak into his veins.

He wasn’t going to last long, not with how long he had been on the edge of arousal today.

The bitter taste of come had Sixty pulling away with a wince. He didn't think it was something he could ever learn to enjoy. Apologetically, he kissed the inside of Allen's thigh and sucked a bruise into the tender flesh, all while keeping his hand slowly working over him.

"Think I've been good enough for you to come all over? Would I be pretty wearing nothing but your come on my chest?" he asked, eyes wide and anything but innocent.

Allen’s head jerked back up at the feeling of Sixty suddenly pulling away, but he relaxed again once he saw that nothing was properly wrong. Probably just something to do with the precome he knew was already leaking out. Allen groaned again as Sixty began to talk so filthy, feeling everything tightening to a perfect edge...

Which he slammed over at the thought of Sixty covered in his come, a low moan escaping his open mouth. Allen’s fingers dug into his leg, leaving little nail imprints as he shook through his orgasm, making a mess all over Sixty.

Being covered in another man's come was both hot and disgusting. Sixty whined in the back of his throat, torn between wanting more and wanting it all off. However, he worked Allen through his orgasm, not letting him go until a hiss of "too much" had him retreating.

"I think we may need to shower again," he giggled, a little giddy.

Allen was panting as he came down from his high, the world slowly coming back into focus. He felt incredible, but now all of his limbs were heavy and he felt incredibly tired. That snuggling was more and more appealing. 

“Maybe we can just wipe down” Allen said with a soft chuckle, reaching out and wiping away a tiny smear of come that had landed on the underside of his chin. “You did so good. Thank you.” He murmured.

The bit on his chin had escaped Sixty's notice. He blushed a little and reached for a towel. It wasn't like Allen had much of a mess on him to clean up so Sixty simply passed it over his soft cock before looking down at himself. He really was a mess. Mind made up, he decided that he liked it. But only because it was Allen's come on him.

"I like it when you tell me that," he told the floor, not daring to look up at Allen with his admission.

Allen was watching Sixty observe the mess, and felt relieved when he didn’t seem to react too negatively. That was a relief, honestly. Because Allen very much liked the sight of Sixty absolutely marked all over like this. 

“Good, because I very much enjoy telling you the truth.” Allen said with a smile, reaching out to once more cup Sixty’s cheek. “You made me feel so good, and you were so relaxed, I loved watching you.”

Cleaned up as best as possible, Sixty stood on shaky legs and offered Allen a hand. Snuggles did sound perfect and while he knew that they had a sofa waiting for them, he shuffled a little closer and timidly tucked himself against Allen, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

Allen gladly took Sixty’s hand as he stood up, and pulled him close. He pressed an answering kiss to his boyfriend’s chest and looked up at him fondly. 

“Let’s get some comfy clothes and snuggle up, shall we?” Allen suggested, “I have one good cuddling arm and a lot of sleepy energy to bring to the table.”

They stumbled into the bedroom where Sixty pulled out his most comfortable clothes and offered them to Allen before getting into some himself.

On the sofa, he helped Allen settle before curling up under his good arm, Sixty's own slung over Allen's waist.

By the time they got to the sofa, Allen was all but asleep. He was comfortable, sated, and completely satisfied with how the day had gone. He snuggled up happily, pressing lazy kisses and soft happy words against Sixty’s skin. It wasn’t long before his eyes slipped closed and he was gone.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the quarry brings a lot of interesting discoveries. After all, when all nine of our local idiots are in the same location, things can't help but get a little interesting ;)

The rest of the week passed in a moderately calmer fashion. There were still lazy kisses, blow jobs and the like but it was getting more comfortable and familiar. Sixty was getting used to being allowed to be vulnerable around Allen, his snark turned from self defence to sharp humour. By the weekend, he was ready to get out of the house though.

"You sure you're well enough for this?" He was fussing even as they were getting ready to head to the quarry where the others were meeting them.

Allen felt as if this week was one of the best of his life. Despite being in pain sometimes and not having one functional arm, he was loving the feeling of just... _ being _ with Sixty. The time they spent together got easier and more relaxed as the days passed, and Allen realized one day when he woke up curled up next to Sixty that it was because he was falling in love. Oh. That was a revelation. Allen carried it with him in his chest like a warm little secret, and he smiled every time he looked over at his boyfriend and thought about it.

“Yes yes, I’m sure.” Allen reassured Sixty, hefting his helmet up and popping it on his head, “I trust your driving completely, you’ll get me there in one piece no problem.

They were ready to leave but Sixty was busy doing a mother hen impression and checking over Allen one last time. He had been healing so well, the last thing Sixty wanted was to jeopardise his recovery.

He couldn't fret forever though and all too soon they were in his bike, Allen holding on from behind like the world's best backpack.

Getting to the disused quarry, Sixty ducked them through a gap in the fence and followed the sound of bikes already revving through the area.

Allen was thrilled to be back on a bike, so he endured Sixty’s mothering with little resistance. He knew it came from a good place, so he just grinned and snuggled in nice and close as the bike took off.

God it felt good to be back on the road.

Allen was grinning under his helmet as they drove into the quarry, spotting four bikes already weaving and dodging around each other. Well, three, since Hank was sitting and watching the others. He waved jovially as the new bike joined them.

Pulling up near Hank, Sixty helped Allen off before offering a hesitant wave to Hank. However, his attention was already on the three riders out there, playing some elaborate game of leapfrog on the more secure parts of the quarry.

Hank flipped his visor up to greet the two, saying “Welcome to idiot city. Allen, you stick with me.” Allen laughed, retorting “What’s the point of riding if you’re not being a moron?”

Out in the game, Gavin had spotted the new arrivals and began hauling ass over to them.

Tearing his gaze from the game to the other two, Sixty licked his lips.

"I'll be back for you soon, I promise. But first, they need a bit of schooling."

He hopped back on the bike and tore off. As he neared Gavin, he pulled on his handlebars and reared the bike up into a wheelie.

Allen felt both a swell of pride and also, if he was being honest, a tiny bit of arousal at how Sixty was showing off. He was in total control, and that was hot!

Gavin ducked down and pulled a sharp turn, tires squealing as he curved past Sixty’s bike. He let out an excited whoop as he did so, clearly having a good time.

It was so nice to be able to play around like that again. Sixty was familiar with Connor and Nines, they'd perfected the art of stupidity together. Though Gavin was a whole other matter, he was fitting in pretty seamlessly, especially the way he and Nines were all but dancing around with each other.

"The stairs?" Sixty yelled over the noise when they came back together. A cheer went up and Connor turned.

"I'll get the other two!" Volunteering for it even as he was riding towards Hank and Allen.

Gavin and Nines were so comfortable with each other that the way they moved with their bikes mirrored the ways they moved with each other. When Sixty suggested the stairs, Gavin cheered again and tore off after Nines, weaving playfully around him.

Allen was surprised to see Connor approaching. He had kind of assumed he’d be stranded there for the rest of the afternoon, and had resigned himself to that fate. So why would Connor not just wave for Hank to join him?

“I’m comin, I’m comin” Hank chuckled, setting his visor down after giving Connor a grin.

Stopping at a respectful distance, Connor tipped his visor up and looked at Allen hesitantly.

"I believe Sixty wanted to show off for you." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Would you trust me to keep you safe and take you to the stairs?"

He waited, chewing on his bottom lip, quite prepared for Allen to tell him where to shove it. After all, Connor hadn't exactly done much to engender any good will between them beyond that awkward apology and breakfast.

Allen was completely taken by surprise when Connor offered to give him a ride to where the others were going to be riding. In all honesty, he didn’t trust Connor all that much at all. He was trying very hard to give him a second chance, but there just hadn’t been enough time or positive interactions for any trust to develop.

But...Allen wanted to make this work. And he knew it was important to Sixty that they get along. So, setting aside his own reservations, he finally replied “If you don’t mind having an invalid clinging to the back of your bike, I’d appreciate the ride.”

"You can't be any worse to have on the back of the bike than Nines drunk, I think you'll be just fine," Connor offered. He waited nervously until Allen was settled then took off at a more sedate pace than the roaring speed of the others. By the time they got to the stairs, Sixty was merrily wriggling down the stairs with carefully balanced precision before the last couple he pulled up into a wheelie and hopped down one at a time to jeers from the others. He missed the last step and just about managed to catch himself and the bike, standing up. Around him the others laughed while Connor yelled something to chastise him.

It was odd, wrapping his good arm around a person that was not quite Sixty but close enough for it to be weird. Not to mention the fact that Allen was trying desperately  _ not _ to think about how Connor had threatened to impersonate Sixty at one point. That was in the past, he reminded himself firmly. 

Right now, Connor was being very kind and considerate with his pacing. Allen felt safe, despite everything. He couldn’t help but whoop excitedly as Sixty did his trick, then gasp in fear at the almost crash. His heart wasn’t going to survive this, was it?

Once Allen was settled at a good vantage point, in the shade at the base of a container, Connor left to join in the fray. The stairs were an interesting challenge, especially when trying to walk a bike down sideways, one step at a time. It was all good fun, tumbles were whistled and jeered at, successes had whoops echoing. Only, it felt a little empty and when Connor looked around, Sixty was gone.

A holler drew their attention and everyone shouted when they spotted Sixty a little way away. They waved and he waved back before gunning his bike. It revved with a scream and he was off, mounting the ramp to the top of the container and sailing off it with an exhilarated yell. He flew through the gap between the containers and barely managed to land on the one over, slowing enough to then fly off that one and land on the ground, turning sharply to face the others triumphantly.

Wild clapping and cheers broke out until Connor's voice cut through the rabble. "You fucking idiot! Are you completely out of your mind?! There's dangerous and there's stupid you just sailed well into dumb as fuck territory!"

Allen felt like his heart was about to burst out of his throat as he watched Sixty jumping from container to container. Earlier in his life, he might have been whooping and cheering along with Gavin and them, but now all he could feel was fear - if Sixty fell now, Allen wasn’t well enough to take care of him! 

He didn’t realize he had gotten so tense until the sudden yelling made him jump. Okay, maybe he wasn’t quite as worried as Connor, who was apparently insanely high strung.

“Sick jumps, but be careful, okay?” Allen called out, trying to just skirt around Connor’s aggressive comments.

The mixed reaction wasn't the one Sixty had been anticipating and he bristled at Connor's anger.

"Must be your influence given the last couple of weeks." The words were hissed in anger.

"Must be you being fucked stupid after finally conning someone to stick their dick up your ass!" Connor spat back vehemently. It was rapidly escalating and neither of them looked keen to back down.

Allen really didn’t like where this was going. He pulled his helmet up so he could talk more easily. “Hey hey, there’s no need to get nasty like that!” Allen said, using the kind of voice he usually had when he needed to get his team’s attention.

Hank had turned his bike off, and was sitting at looking at Connor with a disappointed expression.

Ignoring everyone around, Connor yanked his helmet off and pushed past Nines who was drifting between them. Nobody expected him to pull Sixty into a crushing hug.

"Don't do stupid shit to try and convince people to love you. You're worth so much more than that." His voice was muffled into Sixty's leathers but in the sudden, tense silence it was clearly audible.

Allen was dumbstruck as he watched Connor wrap Sixty up into a hug like that. He had to turn his face away, feeling like this moment was a private one for the siblings. It was also uncomfortable given the fact that he had been thinking about loving Sixty a lot recently. Fuck.

"And you don't have to micromanage everything. Because as lovable as you are, happiness does not come from absolute control, okay?" He rested his forehead against Connor's. "Trust me when I say I'm happy. That I'm okay. Please."

Having had enough of the spectacle, Nines flopped down next to Allen in the shade and gestured at his brothers.

"Idiots. The lot of them."

Allen was relieved as always to see Nines. Despite all evidence pointing in the opposite direction, Nines was actually turning out to be the most calm and reasonable brother. 

Allen sighed and said “They’re certainly a handful...I used to think Gavin was bad, but now?”

That earned a soft huff of a laugh from Nines.

"Gavin is a kitten compared to those two in full swing. You get used to it." He turned to look over the Sixty and Connor, shaking his head in fond despair. They were pulling away from each other, soft smiles and bashful glances at everyone else.

Allen chuckled and shook his head in slight disbelief. “Incredible what being in love does to a guy, huh?” He murmured, only half paying attention to the words that were coming out of his mouth. Seeing Sixty looking all bashful and adorable was making it hard for him to think straight in any sense of the word.

Five sets of eyes turned to stare at Allen in stunned silence. Nines broke it with a snickered "oh don't I know it?" while turning to look at Gavin.

Further away, Sixty looked ready to bolt, he took a slow, sliding step back but Connor grabbed his arm and pushed him forward.

"Don't fuck this up," he murmured and turned to Hank, nodding to step out to the side, giving Allen and Sixty a moment of privacy once Nines moved too.

Allen immediately felt his cheeks color, heart hammering as he realized what he had just said. Oh fuck. Oh no. This was the worst possible time and place to let that slip,  _ Fletch you moron _ , he thought.

When Sixty looked ready to bolt, his heart sank even further, Allen being forced to assume he was too early in saying it. He took a few tentative steps towards Sixty then stopped, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. “Sorry I....That just kind of slipped out, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He muttered.

Scuffing his feet, Sixty stared at the ground, not daring to look up. Hesitantly, he finally found his voice.

"You really mean what you said?"

He'd been expecting Allen to furiously backtrack, to try and talk his way out of it, say it was a figure of speech. Because nobody had loved Sixty before. Nothing beyond fraternal love anyway.

Allen paused, confused by Sixty’s hesitancy. After a moment of panic though, he realized what might be happening, and nodded firmly. 

“Of course I meant it. I didn’t mean to tell you here in front of all your siblings, but uh. Yeah. I’m in love with you.” He admitted, forcing through his own nerves for Sixty’s sake.

A small, boyish smile lit up Sixty's face as he finally dared look up at Allen. He was full of elated hope.

"Yeah?" He took a few steps closer but waited for Allen to cross the last few steps. "Because I love you too."

Oh there it was, that feeling of his heart fluttering awkwardly in Allen’s chest. He really was in love with this gorgeous guy. He easily crossed those last few steps to pull Sixty into a tight hug, murmuring a relieved “oh thank god.”

A hug?! That was not going to do after such declarations. Sixty threaded his fingers into Allen's hair and tugged him back so he could kiss him. Properly. Dipping him a little, licking into his mouth and sighing in happy satisfaction. Somewhere behind them someone wolf-whistled and Sixty raised a hand to gallantly flip them off.

Allen let out a happy squeak as he was dipped, opening his mouth eagerly to let Sixty in. His good hand clutched at the back of his boyfriend’s leather jacket, and when they parted for breath Allen only gasped in one small breath before he dove back in for one more good kiss. 

This was pretty much the best way this could have gone, and Allen was beaming when they parted for real.

Slightly flustered, Sixty grinned back at Allen with a blush high on his cheeks. It was hard to believe what Allen had said and, in a way, Sixty was glad the others had heard too. It was much more difficult to convince himself it was a dream that way.

His grin turned to a mock scowl when, behind Allen, he saw Nines stick his hand out towards Connor expectantly. An indignant squawk followed when he saw cash exchanged between them.

"Did you really fucking bet on this?!" There was no malice to his words, merely uncertainty whether he should be offended at the value of the bet.

Allen could barely believe how well that had gone, and he found himself completely unable to make words to express how he was feeling. He wiggled his hand in so he could brush his fingers across the blush reverently.

With a slight startle, Allen looked over at the source of Sixty’s malice and burst out into a peal of laughter. Truly, an incredible display of brotherly affection. Gavin and Hank were behind their boyfriends, snickering and wiggling their eyebrows at Allen. He was never going to live this one down.

It seemed that for the first time, Sixty was the more direct and brave one. He grabbed Allen's hand and linked their fingers.

"Like you've got room to complain. You know what this money is going on." Nines was ambling closer with a wicked smirk. "You've done it for both of us, so it's only fair you get your turn."

Allen squeezed Sixty’s hand happily, a little more steady now that they weren’t kissing. He could process his happiness later, for now he just felt giddy and pleased.

“Oh I have  _ got _ to know if your bet on Gavin and Nines matched what Hank and I thought,” Allen teased, looking between Sixty and Nines with a grin.

There was a gleeful little snicker from Connor, "We thought Nines would pin him to the wall by the throat and threaten him."

It was met with an unimpressed stare from Nines.

"I did do that. But then I also fucked him so hard he couldn't ride for a week so Sixty won the bet too."

“Hell yeah you did baby” Gavin whooped from over where he was standing, which earned him a good-natured bop on the head from Hank.

Allen just laughed, replying “We thought you might just murder him, so we were honestly relieved when he came hobbling into work that day.”

Sixty hid a laugh behind his hand. Idly, he wondered why there had ever been such a rivalry between the two trios when in reality they got along so well. Maybe because love was scary and they were trying to avoid it. That thought sent another little shiver of giggles through him. Allen said he loved him.

Out loud, he instead decided to turn the tables on Connor a bit, "Well, I lost the bet regarding the oldies. I thought Connor would come home with a Daddy or a Leather Bear kink from that. Cost me a pretty penny that one."

Allen was wondering the same thing, but backwards - maybe it was true that opposites attracted. Because right now they were a ring of smiling faces, but not too long ago they had been spitting insults and threats. Allen found he liked this version much better. 

There was a snort from Gavin and then a louder yelp as Hank whacked him on the head again. “I mean he  _ is _ a bear and he  _ is _ wearing leather” Allen teased with a grin.

If Sixty thought it couldn't get any worse, he was wrong. Connor sidled up to Hank with a mischievous grin and a purred "oh hey daddy" that sounded both sultry and horrifying at the same time. It made Sixty's efforts to hold his laugh in crumble and he threw his head back, roaring with mirth. Turning to Nines and Gavin he eyed them up.

"I think we all know the dynamic between you two." Easily, he turned his gaze to Allen. "And I suppose we keep them guessing about us."

Hank fought to keep a straight face as he wrapped an arm around Connor to pull him closer by the ass. But when Sixty started to laugh, Hank couldn’t hold back any longer and started to laugh as well, leaning in to kiss Connor between chuckles. 

Gavin showed no embarrassment at being sized up by Sixty, grinning up at his boyfriend instead.

“I suppose we will.” Allen agreed with a little wink, “You and your hidden ink and hidden talents” He knew that Sixty’s tattoos weren’t visible but he didn’t automatically assume they were secret, especially from his own brothers.

Silence descended on the quarry and both Connor and Nines stared at Sixty.

"His hidden what's now?" Connor's voice was pitched high.

"Talents?" Sixty offered with a small, placating smile. This was not something he had been prepared for but he couldn't think of a way out of it. The look his brothers were giving him meant there was no escaping, no running, he'd been outed. Shit.

Allen swallowed hard as he saw the stares of the two brothers. Oh shit, he sure had put his foot in it now, it seemed. He shot Sixty what he hoped was an apologetic look, squeezing his hand a little tighter. 

Between himself, Gavin, and Hank, Allen knew there were enough people here that would defend the idea of having tattoos...but Connor hadn’t exactly proven himself to be particularly reasonable.

Breath hitching, Sixty took a step back. This wasn't something he wanted to argue about, not now and especially not in front of the others.

"Well that's just fucking selfish," Nines frowned, cutting off anything Connor was about to spout. "I thought I'd get one first when Gavi and I get some matching ones in a couple of weeks."

Connor's head whipped to stare at Nines in gaping disbelief. He kept gawping before throwing his hands up in a sign up surrender.

"Do what you want, see if I care."

Realisation struck Sixty like a lightning bolt. "It's not like I've left you out. I've got a tattoo for everything I care about and want to remember."

Gavin’s face broke into a relieved grin just the same as Allen, both of them making eye contact across the little circle. It felt good to have at least a little backup when it came to this whole crazy family. 

“You’ve never had a problem with my tattoos, Con.” Hank said gently, soothingly. He gestured for his boyfriend to come back to standing by him, instead of pacing around between all of them.

“They really are all meaningful. And gorgeous.” Allen offered meekly.

Caught out, Connor flushed. His logic was flawed but at the same time, it was his baby brothers willingly putting themselves through pain to permanently mark their skin.

"You speak of your ink in plural. Dare I ask how many you have? 3? 4?"

A snort left Sixty at the idea. Connor was going to have a fit if he told him. Showing was probably the easiest. Struggling out of his leathers, he pulled his shirt over his head.

"Count yourself."

It was oddly freeing, letting the group ogle at the colourful display of his tattoos. What made it all the better was knowing that Allen had been the first to appreciate them all.

It took all of Allen’s self control not to reach out and let his hands roam over the expanse of Sixty’s tattoos. They were just so gorgeous, and he loved knowing that they were all so meaningful. Especially since he had a front row view of them all whenever he wanted. Allen couldn’t disguise the terribly fond expression that painted itself across his face, nor could he stop himself from admiring the tattoos.

Across the little circle, Gavin have an appreciative little hum, looking up at Nines and saying “Looks like we’ll just have to get some more to keep up, huh babe?” Hank, meanwhile, had caught sight of the very obvious motorcycle on Sixty’s chest, and was raising an eyebrow at the couple.

Resolutely, Sixty stared off into the distance for the first few moments then his eyes met Allen's and he kept watching him.

"Guess this means I can get some in more visible places now." Looking back at the group, he caught where Hank's eyes were lingering and a blush started to creep across his skin, flustered at the obvious scrutiny and look of realisation. At least Nines and Connor hadn't twigged it. Yet.

Allen smiled at his boyfriend when they made eye contact, sensing that he was getting embarrassed. It was understandable, given how much scrutiny he was under. 

"Hey, if we're showing off tattoos, I might just have to take my shirt off as well." Allen teased, trying to get some of the focus off of Sixty and back onto himself. He figured Connor wouldn't want to see him with his shirt off, so things would probably settle.

Eyes narrowed in on Allen in a fierce glare.

"Is this your bad influence?" Connor snapped.

"Oh shut the fuck up Con!" Sixty growled back. "I was still in the army when I got my first one. What is it with you and tattoos anyway?"

With so much focus on Connor, he finally backed down and shuffled awkwardly.

"I just," he shrugged. "Needles. They hurt. And I don't want you hurting."

Exasperated, Sixty rolled his eyes.

Allen bit back the retort of 'Do you always have this big of a stick up your ass?' that was rising up his throat. The last thing he needed was to stick his foot in it  _ again _ with Connor.

Hank spoke up, adding "I can confirm, Connor cries more than Sumo does when he has to get his shots." It was a good-natured jab, with Hank smiling fondly at his boyfriend.

A laugh huffed out of Sixty at that. He wasn't all that surprised really.

"I don't actually mind the tattoo gun. Find it quite relaxing actually. And even if if hurt? These are all things I would willingly suffer that much for, just to have a reminder of them."

Connor's eyes roved over his tattoos again and came to rest over the half finished one over his heart. His face went through a range of emotions, settling on something soft if a little hesitant.

"I really hope you're right." His eyes flicked to Allen briefly. "Now quit showing off. It's weird to stand in an abandoned quarry with 5 other guys and ogle one of them topless. Even worse when they're your twin."

Allen felt that look land on him, but simply smiled back at Connor as he went through his weird emotion rollercoaster. When it landed on soft and fond, Allen was pleased. That he could work with. 

“Yeah, can’t have you all looking at my boyfriend like this all the time!” Allen joked back, “He’s mine to ogle, after all.” He offered Sixty his shirt back, wishing he had both hands so he could help dress him. Maybe later he could undress him agains so he could get another nice look at those tattoos...

Pulling his clothes back into order, Sixty offered a wide smile. There was a newfound ease to the group, or at least he felt that way, especially as his little secret about tattoos was out.

"So," he turned to Allen, "want a ride round with me before we head home?"

"Oh hell yeah. I am loving this setup, maybe I'll just make everyone give me rides by the end of the day." Allen joked, leaning up and kissing Sixty on the cheek.

As tempting as it was to kiss Allen properly, that wasn't something Sixty was really quite ready to do in front of his brothers. Earlier had been a little different, swept up in emotions as they were. It was something he would do at home without hesitation though.

Home...

He had said that earlier, thinking of his place but maybe Allen had thought of his own. A little uncertain, Sixty smiled and walked towards his bike.

"Maybe you could be my navigator," he called over his shoulder. "And don't you dare think about hitching rides with others. That is my sole pleasure now. Say the word and I'll take you."

Allen didn't mind the change in attitude towards PDA - he knew it wasn't that Sixty wasn't interested, more that his nerves had caught up with him. He simply smiled and climbed onto the back of the bike, wrapping his arm comfortably around Sixty's waist and giving it a squeeze.

"What word should I say?" Allen teased, "Please? Take me for a spin, baby"

Revving the engine, Sixty grinned slowly. He could most definitely taken Allen for a spin, one he wouldn't forget very quickly. He reached and secured Allen's good arm around his waist before setting off with a wheel spin and a loud whoop.

Allen let out an excited yell as he felt the engine roar to life under him. God, he missed riding. But this was the next best thing, being pressed up close to his boyfriend and still feeling the wind whipping around them.

There was something perfect about having Allen plastered to his back and riding through the quarry. Sixty even threw in a couple of wheelies, going up and down stairs and, feeling especially brave, a smaller jump that had them sailing through the air.

Finally pulling to a stop, he craned his neck to peer at Allen, grin hidden under his helmet.

"Want more? Or want to head out?"

Allen appropriately cheered his boyfriend on as he attempted a few tricks, even though the more practical side of his mind reminded him they probably shouldn't be doing any of this with his injury. But it was fun, and he loved the idea that Sixty was showing off for him. So Allen pushed away the soreness from the bumps and jostles and focused instead on the adrenaline and enjoyment.

It was only when Sixty stopped the bike that Allen was able to take stock of the throbbing, dull pain in his chest. He grimaced in disappointment and admitted in a small voice, "We should probably head out..."

It was the sensible option but even so, Sixty wished they could stay a little longer.

"We'll come back when you feel up for riding. I'll show you how to do some of these," he promised. "So, home?"

Once again he'd slipped up. But all he wanted was Allen on his bed, having his no doubt sore muscles massaged with some oils. He would look good, oils making his muscles gleam in a low light.

Allen also wished he could stay longer, his wound making him feel like an invalid yet again. Sixty could probably feel the tension in his body from the worry. 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Allen admitted with a small sigh, “Take me wherever you’d like. Your place or mine...” He wanted to rest, but he didn’t want to be parted from his boyfriend, so he left the choice up to him.

His own home it was. Sixty hoped Allen wouldn't mind that once again he wasn't being taken back to the comfort of his own home. But Sixty knew his home was stocked with everything they would need. Including pain killers.

Beeping his horn and waving goodbye to the other four, he took off. The ride home was a lot less exciting, with speed limits and no fun things to ride over. Sometimes it felt as though it would be quicker if he jumped off and pushed his bike.

At long last, they were back at his and Sixty was ushering Allen through the door and guiding him towards the bedroom and the comfort of the bed.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With "love" out in the open now, our boys can relax and enjoy some pampering time together after an exciting afternoon.
> 
> This chapter runs parallel to [Chapter 1 of Stabilizers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25315246/chapters/61376983) and [Chapter 4 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166/chapters/61377256) \- we're getting to the good bit folks, three parallel chapters!

Allen relaxed and let his mind drift off as they drove home, not bothering to pay attention to which home they were driving. In his mind, they were almost interchangeable at this point, not that he had noticed. It was easier to just sit and focus on the feeling of the engine purring under him and Sixty’s heart thudding against him. 

When they finally made it back to Sixty’s place, Allen let his boyfriend gently guide him around, taking off his helmet and jacket with a soft groan. Finally making it to the bed, Allen flopped down onto it without any hesitation.

“God...that was fun but I feel like I just got run over by a truck.” He muttered, eyes slipping closed.

Watching Allen's slightly pained expression, Sixty felt a bit bad. He wouldn't change anything about the day but he did wish Allen wasn't in pain.

"You just rest, let me take care of you."

Gently, he worked the sling off Allen's arm, helped ease his shirt off too. Straddling his hips, Sixty reached for the oil and warmed some up on his palms before slowly setting to work trying to ease the tension from muscles.

"It's okay if you fall asleep. I'll look after you."

“Thank you...” Allen murmured, smiling up at his boyfriend with eyes just barely cracked open. He wasn’t sure how he had gotten so lucky, but he wasn’t in the right mindset to try and puzzle it out. 

Instead, Allen allowed himself to fall into the hazy pleasure-pain sensation of Sixty working his muscles with those warm, slick hands. Little groans and other soft sounds escaped whenever he hit a particularly tender spot.

The sounds Allen made were great guidance for where Sixty pressed and how he moved over the sore parts. It should have alarmed him, how quickly he had learned to read Allen and his non-verbal responses. Sixty hoped he could learn them when it came to sex just as well as in a massage.

When Allen's breaths evened out and the soft snuffles of approval became a cute snore, Sixty slipped off him and tucked a blanket around him. Moving into the kitchen, he stuck a lavender scented beanbag in the microwave and grabbed his phone while he waited.

Sending a quick "we good?" to the brothers' group chat, he also sent Hank one too, asking him to look after Connor with more care than usual that night. He had a sneaking suspicion a fallout of some description was coming.

Allen would have been embarrassed by how quickly he fell asleep, had he not already been asleep. Sixty’s hands were just so soothing, and he was far too tired. He hadn’t realized just how stressful the afternoon had been until he was lying down and relaxing.

A text from Hank came back fairly quickly, reassuring Sixty that pampering Connor was already on the agenda. He also wanted to make sure that Allen was okay, although he made sure to reassure Sixty he had the utmost faith in his caretaker abilities.

The reassurance from Hank was a welcome one, if unexpected. Sixty sneaked into the room, put the warm beanbag against Allen's shoulder and tucked him in again. Then he took a photo and sent it to Hank as proof that his friend was being thoroughly pampered.

Not feeling exceptionally tired himself, Sixty returned to the kitchen to try and cook something and make time go by quicker until Allen was awake again.

Allen happily snuggled up against the warmth in his sleep, making for a very adorable picture. Hank sent back an appropriate amount of thumbs up emojis (he was not, by his own admission, very good at emojis) and thanked Sixty again.

Allen slept for about a half an hour before his brain finally realized it wasn’t time to sleep for the night. He woke up groggy, with a grumble of “...Six?”

The fish was merrily under the grill and Sixty was preparing the bed of leaves to serve it on, music playing quietly in the background. It made him miss Allen calling out to him. Instead, he softly hummed under his breath, hips swinging in time with the music.

Allen could smell the aroma of something delicious floating into the room, making him wonder if he was still dreaming. He felt warm and relaxed, although the ghost of an ache was still hanging in his chest. It was very bearable though, and he sat up without any significant pain, shuffling out into the kitchen with a yawn.

Idly, Sixty wondered whether Allen would prefer whole or halved cherry tomatoes. And whether he wanted the dressing already on the salad or sort that himself.

On the whole, he was pretty pleased with his dinner creation. Maybe he should put a couple of candles on the table to make it more romantic. Sixty turned and yelped, jumping back when he saw a figure in the doorway.

Allen jumped when Sixty yelled, his hand coming up to clutch nervously at his chest. “Fuck, sorry, it’s just me.” He said, trying to reassure his boyfriend when he saw how surprised he was. Allen felt bad for scaring him, but at least he was fully awake now...

As soon as his heart stopped beating wildly in his chest, Sixty laughed. It was ridiculous how he startled so easily, too used to living by himself. Gliding up to Allen, he kissed him softly.

"How you feeling after your little nap?" In his mind, he was already thinking about what drink he could get Allen to go with the painkillers.

Relieved, Allen kissed Sixty back, smiling as he looked up at him. “I feel so much better, thank you darling. You have magic hands.” He said. And that wasn’t even considering all of the other amazing things Sixty apparently had ready for him. Allen was going to have to thank him properly after their meal.

It took a lot of willpower for Sixty not to make some kind of lewd joke about what else his magical hands could do. His face betrayed him however and he was sniggering even as he tugged Allen in for a kiss.

"I'll bring you dinner to the table, along with painkillers, you're still standing a little too stiff for my liking."

He patted Allen on the backside to encourage him to get moving.

It was like Allen could read Sixty’s mind, and he laughed along as he was pulled in for a kiss. “Okay okay, maybe my brain isn’t all the way awake yet.” He admitted with a soft chuckle. 

Moving amiably when Sixty guided him by the ass, Allen sat down at the table and admired the little setup. “You are an absolute angel, you know that?” He said, looking over at his boyfriend.

Well, there weren't candles on the table just yet but Sixty could grab those on the way back with the plates. He pressed a kiss to the top of Allen's head and made his way back to the kitchen.

On his return, he put the plates down and produced the candles from under his arm with no flourish. Almost a little shy at being caught trying to be romantic. But his boyfriend did declare his love in a rather public setting so surely that deserved a bit of recognition. This was so far outside the realms of porn, Sixty was flying blind and the research he had done was rather mixed on what was deemed cute and what was just cheesy.

Allen grinned and whistled appreciatively at the candles. “I’d applaud but I can’t really do that right now.” He joked, looking up at Sixty with a happy smile. The little attention to detail that his boyfriend had was so sweet, and Allen told him as much.

Flustered, Sixty almost missed the chair he tried to sit on. He thought he managed to rescue the situation quite well, his plate didn't end up in his lap and the table remained upright.

"I've not really done this before," he finally admitted. In the flicker of candle light, Allen looked even more handsome than usual. The shadows played wonderfully across his jaw, highlighting its sharpness quite perfectly. Sixty was mesmerised.

Allen paused before asking “Had a candlelight dinner? Well I think you’re doing amazing.” He reached out for Sixty’s hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. It was almost adorable how flustered his boyfriend got over simple things like this when he was doing amazing.

“Are you enjoying it?” Allen asked, because he felt like that was a question he needed to ask Sixty more often.

The question deserved a serious amount of thought and Sixty pondered it before giving a firm nod.

"Yes. I have no idea how these things go. What is the normal, what's too much. But so far I have definitely enjoyed it despite it being stressful."

The fear of not being enough, or of being too much made him feel on edge. However, Allen's calm, warm acceptance of all his efforts had been a balm to his worries.

Allen smiled at Sixty’s incredibly honest answer. That honesty was one of the things he loved about Sixty, he was starting to realize. It was charming and endearing at the same time. 

“Well I’m glad to hear that. I want you to be enjoying yourself. And let me reassure you, you’re definitely not doing ‘too much’ and there’s not some magic standard you have to adhere to.” Allen reassured him.

Oddly, hearing Allen's words helped settle Sixty a little. He wasn't certain whether he was a fan of having moved from hiding his insecurities behind acerbic remarks to becoming a dithering fool, but, so far, Allen didn't seem to mind.

"Well, tuck in." He gestured at the plates, the endearment caught on the tip of his tongue but it felt weird to call Allen "love" all of a sudden. Maybe, he could work his way up to it. It wasn't like he had any issues with calling his boyfriend pet names in the bedroom.

“With pleasure.” Allen replied, happily tucking into his meal. He had been hungry since the moment he smelled the fish on the grill. The first forkful pulled a happy sigh from his throat, Allen chewing and swallowing before saying “God, this is fantastic. I’ll say it again, you’re an absolute gem.”

The noises dinner pulled from Allen were downright sinful and Sixty spent most of dinner staring at his plate, trying to eat rather than get hard. It was a losing battle. Even more so when Allen's sweet words were stuck on a loop in his head. Coupled with the snicker worthy thought train from gem to a buttplug with a gem in the base to make it pretty, he was lost. Sixty absolutely had one with a purple jewel in it.

Cheeks dusted red but thankfully probably not visible in the soft lighting, Sixty looked up once his plate was empty. Clearing the table was going to have to wait - his trousers were a little too tight.

Allen hadn’t been doing it on purpose at first, but once he noticed Sixty squirming he had started playing it up a little. Just a bit. It was easy when the food and company really was so good. And it was cute watching Sixty get lost in his own head.

“That was amazing, thanks again babe.” Allen said once he was done, leaning back happily in his chair. He felt satisfied and warm, and his chest had stopped hurting to the point of it being too noticeable.

This was the meaning of happy families, Sixty was sure. Warm love, full bellies and a slow burn of longing to be closer. It was everything he could have ever dreamed of as a child. He just hoped it wasn't all going to be ripped away from him.

"Got room for a simple dessert?" he asked with a smile. All that was missing was some soft music. He could definitely remedy that.

Allen was thinking that he could get used to this love thing. It was making him want to pull Sixty close and kiss him all over, and then just curl up under the blankets together. It was slow and gentle and he felt warm all over, watching his boyfriend continue to be thoughtful and kind.

“Absolutely. I’ve got my dessert stomach always ready.” Allen chuckled.

Dick finally behaving, Sixty could get up and clear the table. He made quick work of it and returned with a fruit salad he'd quickly thrown together.

"It's not much," he shrugged. Perhaps he should have bought a cake and had it delivered if he couldn't bake it himself. A fruit salad looked really rather pathetic.

“Hey, better than the takeout I had planned” Allen said with a chuckle, spooning some fruit salad out onto his plate. “And besides, fruit is good for you, right? You’re just taking care of your sick boyfriend.”

When put that way, Sixty was almost tempted to preen. He was looking after his injured boyfriend.

"Taking care of a sick boyfriend-" He got shy all of a sudden and rushed the rest of his words out quietly. "-who I love very much."

It was still such a strange thing to say. Sixty had never anticipated saying those words outside of his wildest fantasies. He tamped down on a hysterical little giggle at being able to actually say it now.

Allen’s face broke into a fond smile as Sixty blurted it out in a rush like that. He couldn’t help but reach over and take his hand to press kisses against the knuckles. “I’m so lucky to be in love with such a caring person” He replied, tasting the words as they left his mouth and smiling wider.

Sixty was just so damn cute when he was terribly happy - Allen was resolute in his determination to make that happen as much as possible. Who wouldn’t want to hear those adorable little half giggles?

Poking at his food with his free hand, Sixty peered up at Allen from under his lashes.

"Today has been wonderful. Thank you." He wasn't as sappy as going to say it was one of the best days of his life, even if it was true. His boyfriend loved him, got along more or less okay with his family and they could all go out riding together. There wasn't much in the way of bliss beyond that.

“You’re absolutely welcome. I feel the same way.” Allen replied, squeezing Sixty’s hand one last time before releasing it so he could get back to the fruit. Yet another detriment to only having one hand. 

“You made this evening so wonderful. I would have just been miserable in bed if not for you.”

A smirk tugged at Sixty's lips.

"We can still go back to bed. But I would hope that what I could make you feel won't be miserable." He was teasing as he popped some fruit in his mouth to hide his grin.

Allen laughed, grinning at Sixty in between bites of his fruit salad. “Oh you could never make me feel miserable baby” he teased back, “With that body? Never.”

"You're in this just for my body?" Sixty was teasing but there was an undercurrent of worry to it. Still, he grinned wide to mask it by pushing the joke further. "Why, I thought my wallet would sway you more."

Allen shook his head vehemently, starting to learn Sixty’s little tells. “Your body is just a bonus, darling. That’s not what I fell for.” He soothed, smiling happily.

Content with that, Sixty relaxed a little and smiled. He didn't want to fish for compliments but he wondered whether he could prompt one all the same.

"You know," he leaned forward on the table towards Allen, "I think I fell for how unflappable you are. No matter what, there was this steadiness to you which drew me in. Then your wit piqued my interest and your body sealed the deal."

Allen looked up and caught Sixty’s gaze. Despite knowing that his boyfriend was laying it on thick, for one reason or another, he couldn’t help but be flattered. He knew he was turning slightly pink, but there was no turning back now. 

“What, my loud mouth and insanely fast orgasms didn’t lure you in?” Allen teased, thinking back to their first few trysts with a chuckle. Then he turned more serious as well, replying “I fell for how earnest you are, underneath all that quick wit and spunk. Earnest and kind, and fiercely loyal. Not to mention hot and confident in your own body, of course.”

That was way more than Sixty was expecting and he ducked to hide his blush. He found he didn't actually know how to cope with the compliments so chose to pick up on Allen's joke and throw it back.

"Actually, those fast orgasms were a bit of a relief," he admitted. "Because it meant that even as inexperienced as I was, I could get you off. And it wasn't daunting that I'd have to spend hours on my hands and knees while you came."

Allen laughed, head thrown back in delight at Sixty’s teasing. It was hilarious because a while ago he would have assumed it was just Sixty being an ass, but now he could tell it was partially the truth, or at least was a shade of the truth. 

“Well I’m very glad I wasn’t too much of a disappointment” Allen chuckled, “You’ll have to train me to savor things a bit more, you’ve got that denial down to a science.”

The idea of showing Allen edging, or denial made Sixty's heart flutter.

"Imagine being restrained, cock in a cage while being mercilessly fucked by a machine. I think you'd look gorgeous."

It was an enticing image and Sixty wondered what Allen would have to say about the fuck machine he had, hidden away in his spare room.

Allen’s eyes fluttered closed momentarily as he visualized that image. It was totally foreign but also very enticing - letting go of control completely while sixty didn’t even bother to touch him...

“I think I’d like to try that someday.” Allen purred, opening his eyes and fixing Sixty with a heated look.

Someday. Sixty was going to hold Allen to that, he hadn't been kidding about how good a picture that particular scenario would make.

"When you're better," he nodded. "Is there anything else you'd like tonight? Cuddles in bed or something more?"

“Yeah, a fuck machine might be a bit much for my poor chest right now.” Allen admitted with a soft chuckle. He considered the offer, admitting “I think some cuddles would be wonderful. Maybe some making out, we can see where things go.”

Cuddles and making out sounded perfect, Sixty said as much. He cleared the table when he heard his phone beep with a message. There were now two unread messages on the group chat. Worried, he picked it up, leaning against the kitchen counter. Upon reading the message, he let out a whoop of delight.

Allen stood up and ambled over to Sixty when he got so excited about the text message. He was curious, given the initially worried look on his boyfriend’s face. “What’s got you so happy?” He asked, keeping a polite distance so he wasn’t tempted to lean in and read.

Grinning from ear to ear, Sixty turned to Allen.

"Only that Nines and Gavin had to out do us. They got engaged." He was delighted for them, it was about they publicly declared their love for each other.

"I reckon Connor's going to be Nines' best man. Think they'd let me be a bride's maid? I would look so fetching in a dress." He was snickering at the thought already.

Allen immediately also whooped excitedly, exclaiming “godDAMN, Gavin really did it!” He was excited as hell for his friend, knowing just how smitten he was with the youngest Stern brother. It also was a huge step forward knowing how insecure and commitment-avoidant Gavin used to be.

“I think you’d look gorgeous baby” Allen said with a sly smile, “You’ll look great on my arm no matter what.”

Somehow, the concept of going to the wedding with Allen never crossed his mind and he looked at him with awe.

"You'd be my date to the wedding. That's so awesome!" He shuffled closer and nudged their shoulders together lightly. "Or would I be your plus one?"

He needed to find the words to respond to the message and maybe also tease Connor a little bit - that message was so formal and out of character for him. A bit of good natured ribbing was needed. Still touching Allen, he typed out a message and giggled as he hit send.

That had honestly been Allen’s first thought, and he grinned as Sixty caught up to the idea excitedly. “Why not both?” He teased, leaning up and pressing a kiss to Sixty’s cheek, “We can be each other’s dates.”

Allen briefly considered texting Gavin then reconsidered. Chuckling to himself, he explained to Sixty “I’d text Gavin but there’s no point - he’s going to be so fucked out for the next day that he won’t bother opening his phone.”

Squealing, Sixty clapped his hands over his ears dramatically.

"I am willing to talk about many things. But not my brother's sex life!"

He shoved the phone to the side with a lewd grin. "Our own sex life however...someone did promise me some making out."

He moved to trap Allen against the counter and leaned in, hoping his boyfriend would meet him halfway.

Allen laughed at the sudden reaction out of Sixty - he supposed that was one thing he didn’t have to deal with as an only child. “Alright, I’ll spare you the details” he snickered, “Since Gavin has no filter and tells us all about his sex life wether we want to hear or not.” He hadn’t thought about it until just now, but he knew quite a lot about Sixty’s brother in bed. Hm.

Time to switch gears, so to speak. “I believe I did” Allen hummed, smiling as he leaned up to press his lips against Sixty’s. Gentle at first, but with every intention of deepening the kiss very soon.

Kissing was rapidly becoming one of Sixty's favourite pastimes with Allen. It was easy to forget everything except the lips against his, the comfort of easy love taking everything over.

He let Allen control the kiss, utterly at ease with how things went. After all, Allen had suggested after dinner kisses and cuddles with maybe more. The lack of pressure and expectation was freeing in a way Sixty hadn't expected and he sighed, utterly content.

It was wonderful, Allen thought, to be able to sit there and kiss in peace. He took his time, enjoying the simple feeling of closeness with Sixty and the way he obviously was melting into the touch. 

After a while Allen allowed himself to indulge a little more, nipping gently at Sixty's lips to ask him to open up. His free hand snaked slowly up, resting on his boyfriend's chest between them.

This was something Sixty could definitely get behind. He parted his lips under Allen's guidance, adjusting them a little to compensate for the height difference. Rather than keep pushing for more, Sixty allowed his boyfriend to keep dictating the pace and where it was all headed. That didn't stop him from wrapping his own arms around Allen and pushing his chest into the palm that was resting on him.

Allen was absolutely enjoying the slow indulgence of this moment. There was no rush, they had all night just to themselves. No pressure, just the sensation of coaxing those happy little noises out of Sixty. 

His hand on Sixty’s chest pet gently across his pecs, just feeling and exploring the muscle there. When they had to separate to breathe, Allen pressed gentle kisses along Sixty’s jaw instead.

Breathing hard, Sixty nuzzled against Allen, hoping he wasn't overstepping as he pressed close. There was no intention of pushing for more, gratefully accepting what Allen was offering, shivering in delight under his touch.

There was something soft in that moment that Sixty could truly appreciate. As if the final barriers he wasn't even aware of were falling away. He felt truly vulnerable, his heart entrusted completely to someone else. And yet, he felt absolutely okay with it, cherished the newfound freedom it brought.

Allen had decided midway through kissing Sixty that this was where he wanted to keep things. There was no need to get off tonight, they could simply enjoy being pressed close and feeling Sixty's breath on his skin. He felt warm and safe, and he wanted to keep enjoying this. 

In between kisses, Allen began to tug Sixty towards the bedroom, wanting to lay down and tangle their limbs together so he could doze off like this.

Allowing Allen to lead them towards the bedroom between soft kisses, Sixty followed easily and without complaint. He was perfectly okay with whatever Allen had planned.

Even when they stripped down to underwear and climbed into bed, he laid down next to Allen and was content to keep kissing as his limbs grew heavy and there were longer moments between kisses where they rested their foreheads together and simply existed. Sixty barely even realised he was sleepy until he jolted awake with a startled jump.

Allen kept up the lazy momentum of kissing as they lay down together, tangling their limbs together. His hand traced across Sixty's skin, but his touches were reverent and soft, just enjoying the feeling of being close.

Allen was mostly asleep when Sixty jolted, startling as well with a soft snort. "Go back to sleep." He murmured, blinking at his boyfriend and yawning slowly.

A mutter of "yeah, sure" was all Sixty managed before his eyes were slipping shut again and he sighed softly. Snuggling closer to Allen, he slipped into sleep without fully meaning to.

Allen only had a few moments more of being awake himself. He thought dimly that tomorrow he would need to call Gavin and congratulate him properly, but that could wait. For now, he had Sixty in his arms and that was all that mattered.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our new arc begins uneventfully, with a lunch and an idea...

Work was a bit boring, it was even worse when Allen went home and Sixty was left returning to an empty home. Sure, they still messaged but it wasn't the same as having someone to curl up in bed with. At least Sixty could be grateful that Allen was feeling better.

Lunchtime was coming up and Sixty was internally whinging at himself for forgetting lunch once again. It had been all too easy to get in the habit of letting Allen get lunch ready for him. Now, left to fend for himself again, things were slipping his mind a little.

Allen felt similarly strange when he was finally cleared to be on his own. The apartment felt empty and strange without Sixty there. The team stopped by occasionally, but it wasn’t the same. 

The first day back to work had Allen full of energy and excitement, partially because work would give him something to do all day, and partially because he had plans to see Sixty. As lunchtime rolled around, he gathered the treats he had made and headed down to the morgue.

Stomach rumbling, Sixty set aside everything and tried to figure out where he could go for lunch. Nothing within feasible distance appealed, not after how Allen had spoilt him.

He was making his way out of the morgue as he almost collided with someone coming in.

"Fletch!" He couldn't hide the surprised delight from his voice.

Allen grinned happily as he pretty much bumped into his boyfriend. “Hey darlin” he said, pulling Sixty in for a quick kiss on the top of the head.

Once they parted, he held up the bag with his spoils inside and rustled it invitingly. “Want some lunch?”

Heart soaring, Sixty stepped back into the morgue and gestures Allen in.

"My office okay?" He was already walking towards it, key in hand. Only when he was in there did he realise that it perhaps wasn't his best idea. Since Allen's last visit, his desk had gained a photo frame.

“Yeah, absolutely.” Allen said, “That’s what I was hoping.” He was excited, honestly, to have somewhere nice to eat lunch. And to make this place one full of pleasant memories, not just the weird sex rivalries from before.

When they stepped inside, Allen spotted the from but couldn’t quite see the picture yet, so he approached the desk curiously.

Trust his boyfriend to pick up on the one change to the room. Sixty shuffled nervously, hoping Allen wouldn't be too put out by it.

The picture was one Nines had taken at the quarry. It was Sixty and Allen together, not even touching but looking at each other and there was no mistaking the emotions there.

"What did you bring?" Sixty asked, trying to distract even though he knew it wasn't going to work.

Allen smiled softly at the picture, a warmth spreading through his chest at the sight of them together looking so obviously in love. It was sweet. And therefore Sixty was definitely going to be embarrassed over it.

“Oh, I made us some homemade pasta sauce with noodles and roasted veg.” Allen explained, setting the bag down and allowing himself to be pulled away from the photo. He liked this recipe because it was easy and filling, perfect for a work lunch.

A purr built in the back of Sixty's throat at the thought. It was a dish Allen had made before and he couldn't get enough of it. Something about the roasted vegetables had him going back not just for seconds but thirds too.

"The one with peppers in it?" he asked hopefully, already clearing his desk to make room for them.

Allen could only grin happily as Sixty for so excited over his cooking. It made him happy to be able to make his boyfriend that happy. And just with some simple cooking. His mom had been right about the self-sufficiency after all. 

“Hell yeah” Allen replied, unpacking the dishes and silverware.

A happy wriggle was all the response Sixty had at that and he leaned in to plant a kiss on Allen's cheek.

"I should get you a badge that says 'world's best boyfriend'!"

At the rate they were having proper meals in the morgue, Sixty wondered whether he should just have some plates and cutlery hidden in his desk for these little dates. It would be much easier and save the worry of breaking anything. He was still a little mortified from when he was taking home some plates, swinging the bag merrily, only for it to smack into the doorframe on his way out.

Allen was beaming now, and replied “I would be honored to wear that badge for you.” Maybe not on the job, as the team would rip him apart for it, but at home he’d be more than happy to wear a token of Sixty’s approval.

Allen quickly portioned out pasta and sauce for both of them, before gesturing with his fork and saying “Dig in!”

An idle thought about what else Allen would be willing to wear crossed Sixty's mind. It was probably Nines and Gavin's news that had his mind turning to rings and he quickly brushed the thought aside. It was too soon, too much. They were barely over the giggling phase of soft kisses and declarations of love. Sixty was happy where they were and his mind could go suck it if it was so intent on running away with a fantasy.

"How is work going?" he asked, trying to get his mind back on track and away from images of Allen smiling in a suit.

Allen wasn’t watching Sixty or he would have seen the dreamy look on his face. Perhaps luckily, he was more focused on his pasta. He was accustomed to eating fast on his lunch break, but Sixty’s question reminded him to slow down and pay attention to what was going on in front of him.

“Oh work is fine. The team has been pretty content, but if we don’t get a new case soon I think they’ll start to get antsy.” He replied, looking across at his boyfriend, “How about you?”

There wasn't much to say about work really. Sixty had done an autopsy, ruled death by misadventure and that was it.

"Boring. You're the highlight of the day. To be honest, you're the highlight of every day I spend with you. Should probably try to spice things up down here. Nothing much interesting ever happens in the morgue."

A wicked grin spread across his lips. "Maybe we could solve two problems at once. Get your team down here on a 'case'. You guys get time out and I get some excitement."

“Awww babe, you’re the highlight of my day too” Allen cooed happily, wishing they weren’t both eating spaghetti so he could lean over and press a kiss to Sixty’s lips. As it was, that would be a little gross. 

When Sixty brought up the team, Allen perked up in interest. He was happy his boyfriend was showing a desire to get to know the team better, as the team was like Allen’s family. But the last few interactions hadn’t gone well, so he was a little hesitant, wanting to make sure he understood fully.

“You want me to bring the whole team down here? They can be a handful.” He cautioned with a smile.

"I'll be sure to put all sharp things out of reach. You can bring your gaggle down here for a field trip if they're getting antsy." Smirking, Sixty couldn't resist the teasing barb. "It will be a chance for the brawn to see what the brains get up to. I'm not expecting them to understand, but maybe get a sense of appreciation."

He was already thinking up of ways to keep them entertained, putting together a mini case for them to solve and keep them out of trouble.

Allen laughed at that, knowing that Sixty was underestimating the amount of chaos his team could bring. He had met them at what was perhaps a more restrained mood, when they were all a little worried about their captain. But now? At work, when they were all together? They were wild.

"I can't say no to an offer like that." Allen teased in return, "I'll set it up as inter-office training. How much time do you need to prep?"

If things continued at the pace they were, Sixty would probably need two days to get everything ready.

"Give me 3 days, just to be safe. Feel free to tell them they're going to be my minions in solving a case if you want. Question is, do you want to join their side of the fun? Or mine?"

Because he could twist it so many ways. If Allen was game, they could set him up to be the guilty party to be arrested at the end of the day.

Allen hummed thoughtfully, then answered "I think you're going to need an ally, dear. Do with me what you want for the sake of the exercise." He also very much liked the idea of revealing himself as a traitor to his team at the end of the day. That would be good for a laugh.

A roguish grin tugged at Sixty's lips. This was going to be so much fun, he already had a story plotted and ideas for cultures to grow, evidence to plant and how to cover up the truth with little red herrings.

"Your rival," he began, "was someone you met in a bar. Or rather, they spilled your drink, flirted with your boyfriend and then knocked your bike over. The body turned up the next morning on the beach, but it was no ordinary victim. You killed the commissioner's cousin. So now, it's no longer a DPD or even an FBI case, it's down to SWAT to solve this."

Allen laughed at the scenario Sixty was weaving, immediately recognizing the similarities to their own escapades. “Did I also orgasm embarrassingly fast in an alleyway on this fateful night?” He teased, but he had to admit that was a good setup. 

“If you tell me what clues to drop, I can work them into what I say as we work the case.” Allen offered, already building up a persona in his head.

"Oh no," Sixty shook his head. "No clues. You're far too bright to make such a rookie mistake. All the evidence will come from the labs. Though I doubt we should include a semen sample as an alibi."

Grabbing a pen and paper, he began writing a list, tilting it so Allen could read it too.

  1. Skin cells under the nails - could be explained away by stumbling into each other at the bar?
  2. Stab wounds - identify the murder weapon - there were 5 possible items found in the area.
  3. Finger prints from weapon - run against databases, not just criminals but broader ones because SWAT have access.
  4. Run DNA sample to match weapon to victim for sure.

"How's it sounding so far? Think it would get them not just thinking but also give them an appreciation of what happens down here?" Though those were only rough ideas, the plan would probably change as he properly planned it out.

Allen mused over the evidence Sixty had laid out for their fake case. He chuckled and said with a wink “I mean I’d be happy to give you a semen sample.”

Looking back down at the evidence he hummed thoughtfully and said “Yeah, having a lot of the clues be related to forensics will be new to them. We do mostly the action of cases, but I think they’ll be more than happy to dig into this evidence.”

"And I'll be happy to dig into you if you're serious about that sample," Sixty leered then frowned. That sounded more creepy than playful. Whoops.

Trying to swiftly move on, he added notes to what he would need for each piece of evidence, fairly certain he could get one of the training dummies for the exercise. It was definitely frowned upon to use an actual body from the freezer for such activities.

"This should all be possible. As I said, give me three days to set it all up. I'll grow a couple of cultures for them to figure things out too. Maybe have a little side story about some illness thrown in just for a giggle."

Allen snorted at Sixty’s weird choice of phrase. It was cute the way sometimes he slipped up into medical talk without meaning to. He did him a favor and didn’t tease too much further about it. 

“That sounds amazing babe. You’re a real lifesaver.” Allen said instead. It was making him feel really happy to know that his boyfriend was going to go to some length to have a fun time with his team. “And I think you’re really going to get along with them once you get to know them.” He added with a fond smile.

It was certainly reassuring that Allen thought Sixty would get along with his team. That was something that had most definitely been on his mind of late.

"Well, bring them in for 9:30 in the morning. We'll need to do a quick safety briefing - namely, don't eat, lick or insert the specimens into any orifice."

Oddly, Sixty was quite looking forward to this all of a sudden. He just hoped it wouldn't go wrong.

Allen laughed again, saying “Different members of the team will need different parts of that safety speech. Don’t leave any toys down here, Scott  _ will _ find them and try to steal them.” He knew that Sixty sometimes messed around down here (he had enjoyed those benefits for himself) but some of his team members were insatiably horny.

That should not have sounded like a challenge. Maybe Sixty could work in a few kinky surprises just to get some giggles or scandalised gasps from the team. After all, he had seen some quite interesting things in the morgue from time to time.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well something was bound to go wrong eventually...first real couple fight, anyone?

Over the next couple of days, Sixty got busy planning out the case and writing up reports to use in it. Along with taking a few cultures to grow and preparing slides too. Oddly, he was enjoying himself. There was a thrum of excitement as he put things in order and blocked the morgue off on the rota for access to anyone but himself and the SWAT team.

He was just finishing up, a tray of cultures in hand when some commotion drew his attention. The morgue doors flew open and someone barrelled into him.

Allen was similarly excited as the day of their mutual training approached. As much as he wouldn’t admit it out loud, he really desperately wanted Sixty to get along well with his team. They were his family, so it was important that they liked his boyfriend. Hopefully this exercise wouldn’t end in tears. 

The morning of the training exercise, Allen was relaxing with his team as they did weapons inventory, pretty standard stuff. The team was on edge though, all energy and teasing snickers as they handled the firearms. Allen’s phone rang and he picked it up, only for his heart to sink and his blood to turn cold. 

“Hostage situation? The morgue?” He asked, barely hearing Connor’s voice on the other end and hoping he had imagined things.

Sixty was really fucking unimpressed. The idiot had barged in, made him drop his petri dishes and had the audacity to yell at him, all while blockading the door. It was rude, unnecessary and made even more insulting when the guy picked up a scalpel Sixty had carefully laid out next to the dummy. All his hard work was being ruined!

The banging on the other side of the door wasn't helping much. His whole reason for working in the morgue was, in part, for the peace and quiet. Of course the new arrival had to start yelling.

"I'm not coming out! I have a hostage and will not hesitate to hurt him unless you guarantee me unhindered exit."

Sixty's eyebrows shot up as he looked around. A hostage? Where? It took him embarrassingly long to realise that he was the hostage. Well, about that... He slipped out of his white coat, rolled his sleeves up and approached the noisy twit waving the scalpel like some mythical sword.

The team sprang into practiced action, but to Allen it felt like they were moving through molasses. His heart was pounding at the thought of Sixty being in danger, especially since this was already a hostage situation. 

Connor had told him over the phone that a criminal had escaped and barricaded himself in the morgue, declaring that he was going to hurt Sixty if anyone went inside. And yet...here was the SWAT team, ready to bust through the door.

Allen took a deep breath and made a short gesture with his hand. Marsha and Brad swung the hammer and the doors burst open, the rest of the team swarming in with guns raised.

"...everything. You have had to just pick today of all days, didn't you? It was such an important day too," Sixty was in full swing of chastising the criminal who was tied to a gurney, looking a little dazed and dizzy.

Glowering at the commotion by the door, Sixty cleared his throat pointedly, unimpressed at being interrupted. He was in the middle of a pointed lesson about manners and timing. These idiots needed a lesson too by the sounds of it.

"When you're quite done destroying my work area, could you please sit quietly at the side of the room until it is your turn to be lectured." He returned to keep picking up the pieces from the smashed petri dishes and eyed the criminal. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, inappropriate running in the workplace. This is a prime example of why you simply don't run in a lab. What if my dishes had been carrying something highly dangerous? Hm? You'd be infected by now. And I'd get the blame. Possibly even lose my job because of your recklessness. How would you feel about that?"

After the initial confusion of busting into an active hostage situation only to discover it was not, in fact, an active hostage situation, the SWAT team slowly lowered their weapons. Allen, who had come in behind the rest of the team, ripped his mask down and gaped at the sight of Sixty  _ lecturing _ the subdued criminal. He was completely without words for a good few minutes, the rest of the team shuffling awkwardly aside to allow him to step forward. 

Brad muttered a quiet "Sorry" when he dropped the hammer on the ground and it made a noise, and Allen was suddenly almost hysterical with relief at how ridiculous this situation was. 

"Sixty! You can't just shush the SWAT team!" He gasped out, "We thought we were saving your life dammit!"

The familiar voice snapped Sixty out of his focus on clearing up. He looked up and a smile bloomed on his face.

"Fletch! Didn't realise you were coming for a visit early!" He put the tray of broken glass to the side. "I already messaged Connor to use the air ducts because someone here had broken the key into the lock." He gave his captive a pointed look. "I'm very disappointed in you."

Turning back to Allen, he shrugged. "He barged in, ruined the case you were going to be playing with, broke my doors and-" He looked utterly scandalised. "-had the audacity to grab a scalpel and make demands. Not in my morgue thank you very much!"

Hot on the heels of the SWAT team, Connor was running in, pale and wide eyed, taking in the surprising lack of blood and carnage.

Allen was still gaping at his boyfriend as he continued to completely disregard how dangerous this situation had been. "Of  _ course _ I'm "coming for a visit" you absolute idiot!" He said, voice rising to somewhat hysterical levels, "You were involved in a hostage situation! This was  _ dangerous!! _ " 

Allen was incredibly grateful nothing had happened, but the panic and adrenaline hadn't quite left his systems in tip top shape right now.

A disbelieving look was cast at the attempted criminal.

"What hostage situation? I dropped Connor a message to say everything was under control." Sixty turned to face his twin who had stopped next to Allen. As soon as attention was turned to him, he was pulling Sixty in for a giant hug with a murmur of "I'm so glad you're okay."

That rubbed Sixty the wrong way a little and he squirmed in the hug.

"Really? All this panic for that guy and a scalpel?" He was a little outraged. "Did you just conveniently forget that I served in active duty for six years? This?" He gestured to the room. "This was basically the mess hall on tour."

"I know," Connor shot back, stubbornly hanging onto him. "But you're still my little brother and I'm still allowed to worry for you."

From the prison of the hug, Sixty sent Allen a pleading look for rescue.

Allen simply shrugged, determined to leave Sixty to his fate. "I wasn't informed of any details, just that there was a hostage situation here in the morgue." He replied primly, "The SWAT team treats all threats with the same level of seriousness, because we can't afford to treat things anything but." 

"We had no idea if this guy was armed with a gun or had taken you unawares." Allen explained a little more, trying not to let the slight tremble in his voice show through, "You could have been injured. Or worse. What were we supposed to do??"

Which was a fair point. Sixty had been taken a little off guard. He watched as Connor looked at his phone sheepishly before blushing.

"So we may have panicked a little," he admitted and Sixty laughed.

"Just a little. Next time, try and think before calling in the cavalry. I am no stranger to combat. Be it gun, knife or hand to hand. A medical tent isn't some safe haven in a war zone. I didn't just heal and save lives on tours. I also took them."

He looked at Allen and offered a more sincere smile, "Think we can postpone the training case until I regrow the cultures again? I think today may be overwhelmed by paperwork about this little incident."

Allen was beginning to be less and less of a fan of this whole situation. Now that the relief had worn off, he was starting to get a little pissed himself at how Sixty was brushing off their worry. Sure, maybe they had overreacted, but even if it hadn't been Sixty as the hostage, the SWAT team would have reacted to the situation just the same.

"We're not in a war zone any more, Sixty. And I have to do my job." He said, a little flatly, "I imagine you're right, the training case will have to wait. I have to go de-brief my team now."

The flat tone had Sixty on edge. He'd pissed Allen off somehow and he wasn't sure what he'd done wrong. A glance at Connor and he was none the wiser, his twin was easy to read and he wasn't giving off any kind of negative vibe.

"I wasn't belittling your job!" Sixty ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I was chastising Connor for getting overly worried and jumping to conclusions without having all the facts. There's protocols for this kind of situation but obviously they all went out the window because family was involved."

Behind Allen, the rest of his team was shuffling awkwardly. Brad opened his mouth to make a 'mom and dad are fighting' comment and Marsha elbowed him in the gut to stop that from happening. They had all already been on edge, but a botched case always left them on the wrong foot anyways. 

"Maybe consider the other side of things for a minute." Allen retorted, then reeled himself in and remembered where he was. With a sigh, he stepped back a little and said "We'll take the criminal off your hands. I'm sure the supervising detective will need him back."

Confrontation had never been Sixty's strong point. He flinched at Allen's retort, more scared by that than anything else that had happened that morning. Unfortunately, Connor noticed too and he subtly moved between them.

"Can the DPD handle Sixty's debrief of the situation?" he asked, voice cold and professional. "Or does that fall under SWAT jurisdiction too, considering you were involved?"

Connor stepping in and putting himself in the middle of this argument just made Allen angrier. He was, quite frankly, sick and tired of Connor getting involved in their relationship. But here, at work, with the whole team behind him, Allen wouldn't say that. 

"The DPD can handle it." Allen said, his own voice cool and professional as well, "As there was no violent response, SWAT will write this off as a miscommunication." He gestured towards the gurney and Scott and Brad stepped forward, untying the criminal and properly handcuffing him. The air was thick with an uncomfortable feeling, and Allen hated it.

Things were escalating and Sixty didn't know how to settle it. Even the team behind Allen had stopped their snickering. Eyes wide, he did the only thing he could think of and stepped around Connor, hip checking him to keep him out of the way.

"That does not follow procedure. The responding team have jurisdiction over the whole situation. While criminals may be handed off to appropriate authorities, the paperwork and debriefing are the responsibility of those present to resolve the situation."

He didn't stomp his feet but he was pulled to his full height, arms behind his back as though reporting to a superior officer in the army.

Allen raised an eyebrow as Sixty pulled himself up to his full height, towering over him to some degree. If this was an intimidation tactic, he didn’t care for it. But he took a deep breath and decided not to make a scene out of it, instead looking up at Sixty with completely bland professionalism.

“If you’d like to do this by the book, SWAT will be happy to follow.” Allen replied, “If you’d both like to meet me upstairs in an interrogation room, I can debrief you one at a time.”

Nodding briskly, Sixty gestured for Connor to lead the way.

"I only want things done properly so we don't get in trouble. Any of us," he grumbled under his breath. When he had disarmed the criminal, he thought the situation would be laughed off. Just a story to snicker about with the SWAT team after they solved their case. Instead, Allen was terse and cold with him, Connor was getting protective as a result and all Sixty wanted to do was go home and take his frustrations out with a cock cage and the biggest toy he could find.

Allen pretended he hadn't heard that. If anyone was going to get in trouble it was Connor, for breaking protocol, or Sixty, for engaging in hand to hand combat with a dangerous criminal. As they came up out of the morgue, the rest of the SWAT team broke off to deliver the criminal and take off their gear. Allen was very aware of the fact that he was still in his vest with all of his protective gear on as he arrived at the interrogation room.

"Whoever wants to go first." He said, gesturing with one hand through the open door.

After a brief scuffle, Sixty ended up conceding with a sneered "age before beauty" and flopping down to the floor next to the door, waiting his turn.

Straightening his tie, Connor stepped into the room and took a seat, nervous about how the debrief was going to turn out.

When Allen stepped into the debriefing room, he did his best to leave all personal connections behind. This was just a regular debriefing. Sitting down, he activated the recording devices and began his standard questioning. 

"Connor Stern, DPD detective. Could I have you describe for me the events that led up to your calling the SWAT team this morning?"

Clearing his throat, Connor took a steadying breath.

"I was going about my day, talking to Lieutenant Anderson when a commotion drew attention. A suspect who had been brought in earlier in the day had broken free of the holding cell and was trying to escape. The suspected retreated to the morgue, myself, Officer Chris Miller and Officer Ben Collins in pursuit. The suspect locked himself in the morgue where my brother, Doctor Silas Stern works. I panicked as he was alone with a potentially dangerous suspect. When entry to the morgue could not be gained, I abandoned protocol because I worried for my brother and called in reinforcement who I knew would be able to help - the SWAT team.

"Unfortunately, I also stepped outside of the realms of professionalism by calling Captain Allen's personal number, knowing he and Doctor Stern are close so more likely to respond to a call for help than through official channels."

He had no regrets for what he had done and he wasn't going to try and hide it. As he spoke, he kept his eyes on Allen, daring him to judge Connor for his knee jerk reaction.

Allen met Connor's eye contact with a bland glance, devoid of any judgment. He had felt the same sting of panic at the knowledge that Sixty was trapped in a hostage situation. But  _ apparently _ that had been stupid of him. Sighing, Allen made a few notes and then turned his attention back to Connor.

"As the captain of the SWAT team, it's my job to remind you not to do that in the future. Contact my team via the official channels. However, as it was an active hostage situation, the SWAT team was, in fact, the correct team to contact." He explained, "I won't be filing any complaints as regards the untoward use of my personal number."

A flush of gratitude made Connor offer a small smile.

"Thank you. I appreciate you overlooking my oversight in the matter. Was there anything else you needed from me, Captain?"

Allen nodded in confirmation, saying "Not a problem, Detective. That will be all. I'll forward along any forms that need your signature." He gestured towards the door, adding "If you could send in Dr. Stern on your way out, that would be fantastic."

With one final nod Connor left the room.

"Your turn. He doesn't bite," he said to Sixty and held the door open.

Sauntering in, Sixty flopped into the chair without much care to think about who might be watching them from the other side of the glass. At least he had enough commonsense not to antagonise Allen by being overly familiar with him. A job was a job and he could respect that.

Allen steeled himself to see Sixty sitting across from him, and still found his heart flip flopping in his chest at the sight. "Dr. Stern, DPD Morgue Specialist." He greeted with a small nod, keeping things professional and proper just like with Connor before.

"Can you walk me through the events of the day, starting with your first encounter with the criminal?"

"Sure," Sixty shrugged with a grin. "I was minding my own business, preparing the final touches to the training case I had put together for your team. This idiot came barging in, almost shoved me over. I dropped the tray, he locked the door and broke the key into it. No way out - which is such a fire hazard, I keep telling Fowler but it's not like they can knock a new door into the walls. Anyway, idiot grabbed a scalpel, threatened me. I didn't like it, neutralised the threat, dropped Con a message to say that the door's buggered. Next thing I know, SWAT is breaking down my doors to rescue me."

He sat back in his chair, eyeing Allen. Maybe he would be up for a bit of stress relief somewhere private. Sixty really hoped so anyway.

Allen had to bite back a sigh at the flippant way Sixty described the whole situation. He had to remind himself that if he wasn't involved, he probably would have found it charming. Instead he dutifully took notes, translating Sixty's version into official language for the report. 

Finally, Allen cleared his throat and said "While I'm very pleased that you were able to handle the situation and neutralize the threat, I need to remind you of the official protocols that have to be followed in such a situation. Those include complying with the team sent to handle the situation, as well as notifying your supervising officer via official channels."

The official talk irked Sixty to no end. He scrunched his nose.

"Sure. Next time I have a raving lunatic charge into my morgue, I'll let him threaten me with a scalpel, take me hostage. Maybe he'll allow me a phone call like police do and I could let my boss know that there's been a bit of an inconvenience, could they call someone else and send a team to rescue me like some princess from a dragon. Fuck that. If I can defend myself safely, I will. Save everyone the hassle and it keeps my morgue from being destroyed too."

Procedures were all great and wonderful on paper. They were magnificent to abide by on a day to day basis. But an emergency or a rapidly escalating situation meant having to adapt. Procedures were out the window at that point.

Allen resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Now this was really getting on his nerves. "Dr. Stern, if you could take this seriously I would greatly appreciate it." He said dully, "As you well know, I meant that you should notify someone once the situation has been neutralized. When the SWAT team entered the morgue, you had tied up the suspect and were lecturing him. Which is not your job, nor is it helpful in the least." 

He had no idea why Sixty was being so patently  _ unhelpful _ about this whole business, but he was rapidly losing the patience to deal with it.

"Well someone has to! Need I talk to you about the reoffending rate of prisoners? It is obvious our systems are failing. Education, not punishment - that's where the emphasis should be. I know this is off tangent but locking people up, all of who have done something wrong to rip a hole in the fabric of societal morals, is dumb. They're going to learn from each other, how to do more wrong and how to do it better." Outburst done for now, Sixty settled in his chair again, slouching and eyeing Allen up. He did look sexy when annoyed and rattled like that. Slowly, Sixty was starting not to care who might be observing them. He winked at Allen.

Allen couldn't hold the sigh back, not this time. He shifted in his seat, readjusting the riot gear which wasn't exactly ideal for sitting and doing paperwork in. "Look, this is not the ideal time to have a discussion on the effectiveness of the criminal justice system." He said, shooting Sixty a disbelieving look that only intensified when he saw that wink. 

"And besides, you also took the opportunity to lecture the SWAT team, who, I might add, were there for your protection."

"Well, I didn't know, did I?! I thought you were coming for the training event and just making a grand entrance. And it was so noisy, I merely shushed the team, I didn't get time to lecture them, was still busy with the criminal." Sixty pouted, Allen was drawing this out into something frustrating and infuriating. And he didn't even have any toys in the lab, having taken Allen's suggestion to heart about Scott.

Allen sighed again, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere with Sixty at this rate. "I'll finish off our debriefing with another reminder to please be more respectful of official protocols and your coworkers. That will be all, Dr. Stern." Allen said, before switching off the recording device to end the official debriefing.

He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't resist leaning forward and asking "Sixty, why aren't you taking this at all serious? What's gotten into you?"

Affronted, Sixty crossed his arms over his chest.

"I was taking it seriously! We can't all be cardboard cutouts without personality. Sorry I couldn't be all: 1. Suspect entered morgue, took me by surprise. 2. Suspect threatened me with scalpel. 3. I de-escalated the situation but executing a simple figure of four arm lock, stepping through to gain the upper hand. 4. Restrained the suspect until SWAT team arrived."

He growled in frustration. This was stupid and pointless, he gave his report and now Allen was nitpicking because his style didn't matched the almost military grade expectations. But he was a civilian doctor, not bound by the standards for reporting in such situations as the DPD or SWAT.

Now it was Allen's turn to be affronted. "Real nice, Sixty, calling me a cardboard cutout." He sighed, "Can't you just..." He waved a hand, suddenly incredibly tired, all the fight leaving him. It wasn't worth getting upset over, because clearly Sixty didn't care that he had been worried.

"Never mind." Allen said, "I'm glad you're safe. That's it. You can get back to the morgue now, I'm sure the cleanup crew is down there and you should supervise."

A snarl ripped from Sixty's throat as he had had enough.

"Oh don't you dare make this about you! I did not call you a cardboard cutout! Are you mad because you didn't get to play hero? That I'm not swooning at your feet because you swooped in and rescued my helpless ass? That I'm capable of defending myself? Or are you pissed that what promised to be a fun day just got shit on and you're taking your frustration out on me? Just have a good hard think before you leave this room."

He pushed back from the table and with a final glare at Allen he stormed out. His morgue was going to be a mess, the cleanup crew never did the job like he would. Not caring who had seen their argument, Sixty marched back down to his domain.

Allen grit his teeth angrily as Sixty let loose and finally yelled at him. Of course he completely missed the point, the absolute ass. One hand smacked down on the table as Allen growled “I don’t have to think about jack shit. Maybe if you got your head out of your own self important ass and thought about other people for a second we wouldn’t be in this situation!” 

When Sixty stormed out, Allen took a few moments to breathe deep before standing up. He, unlike  _ some people, _ had a team to tend to, and he had to keep himself under control for them. 

On the other side of the one way mirror, Connor sucked in a deep breath and dropped Hank a message.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are, as they say, Not Going Well
> 
> (new tag added)

In the next room over, the SWAT team all stood up and filed out, quietly shooting Connor a few pointed looks as they went. The team would close ranks if necessary, it had before. Hank responded almost immediately,  heard there was a commotion, what’s up Con?

Sixty and Allen had a bit of a showdown - not sure they realise they had an audience in the form of SWAT team and me. Allen may appreciate an outsider's calm that isn't someone on the team. He's pretty het up. Connor put his phone away and wandered back up to his desk, shooting Hank a meaningful look.

Meanwhile, down in the morgue, Sixty kicked out the cleanup crew. It was absolutely silent down there, nobody other than him around. Taking a few carefully controlled breaths, he set about putting things back to how he liked them. He'd need to set a new batch of cultures growing, put away everything he'd had prepared for the case and store them until a new date was set up. If the SWAT team even wanted to come and play after all this. He refused to cry. Not when he was right, when he had every right to defend himself. Something told him the nightmares were going to plague him bad that night.

Hank sighed at the message. Well, it had only been a matter of time before they had their first fight at work. He and Connor had certainly had their fair share, so he knew how frustrating it was.  Thanks for letting me know. You okay? he sent back, wanting to make sure before he left to find Allen. 

Allen returned to find the SWAT team carefully and dutifully taking stock of their gear and putting it away. It was way too obedient and organized, but he didn’t have the heart to ask how or how much they had seen of the argument. Honestly, he was glad they weren’t causing a fuss so that he could deal with not having a breakdown in peace. Never before had paperwork seemed like a better excuse to sit quietly and not cry.

The whole situation didn't sit well with Connor. If he knew his twin well enough, he was shutting himself away in the morgue and trying to cram every single feeling into a little box until he could deal with it through something like riding. Which, in the middle of the work day, was not going to be possible.

Quietly, he sneaked down to the morgue and stuck his head around the broken door. Sixty was nowhere in sight so he crept further in until he saw the workbench his brother was hunched over. The sight of him was pitiful, shoulders hunched over, bottom lip being worried bloody, muscles clamped tight to hold down on any shaking. As silently as Connor arrived, he slipped back out.

I'm okay. Sixty isn't. How do we help them fix this?

Still at his desk, Hank pondered for a few moments before sending a reply. Knowing Allen, he was going to be pretending this hadn't happened at all because they were at work and he had to be 'professional'. He'd probably stew over it for a few days at least before approaching Sixty to work things out. Which normally wouldn't be a problem, except it seemed Connor's twin wouldn't last that long. 

I'll go see if I can't work something out with SWAT. We'll need to get them in the same room somehow, he sent back, standing up and ambling away towards the SWAT team's offices.

There was probably no way Allen would set foot in the morgue if he was pissed off. Which meant they needed another room. There weren't many places in the DPD that were private enough for what they needed.

See if you can get him in the observation room for interrogation. Tell him the footage needs reviewing. I'll get Sixty in there. Then you can override the lock with your credentials.

It was the best plan he could come up with. Maybe Hank had something better in mind but if nothing else, at least Connor had a vague plan.

Hank had to chuckle at Connor’s aggressive plan, but it might just be what they needed for these two hotheads. Well, hothead was maybe a bad word for Allen, who had a bad habit of being too stubborn for his own good in a quiet way. 

Hank quietly pulled aside a few SWAT team members, and after some annoyed grumbling as they protested that ‘the boss doesn’t need to get chewed out by that little upstart’ he managed to wheedle a plan out of them. Instead of the interrogation room, which was easily walked into on the other side, the SWAT team suggested the training gym, which they had booked for the afternoon. They would funnel Allen there and then ditch him.

Get Sixty into the training gym, and I’ll lock the door after him Hank sent to Connor, praying that this plan wouldn’t backfire.

That was a lot easier to do than anticipated. Sixty wouldn't be needed to review footage but he would come running to the gym if Connor called.

The phone in Sixty's pocket buzzed.

I fucked up. In the training gym. Please come help.

Cursing, Sixty slammed everything down and turned to rush out. The door couldn't be locked but if anyone wanted to steal shit from the morgue, they were a fucking idiot. His phone lit up with another message.

I'm sorry.

That was odd, Connor had never apologised for getting injured before. Starting to worry more, Sixty broke into a run and slammed the door to the gym open, already imagining the worst possible scenarios. Only, Connor was nowhere in sight.

The SWAT team had cajoled Allen into going to the gym to blow off a little steam, even though right now he didn’t feel like that at all. He just wanted to sit and mope in his office, not go and get his ass kicked by Marsha in a one on one again. 

Allen took a little longer than the rest of the team to change into his sweatpants and tshirt, and by the time he came out into the gym they were all gone. 

All except Sixty, looking confused, and the sound of a lock clicking behind him. Fuck.

"Connor!" Sixty snarled and spun on his heels to try and force the door open. When it wouldn't even budge, he slammed a hand against it. "Connor you conniving little shit! Let me the fuck out of here."

When there was nothing but silence on the other side of the door, he didn't turn away, refusing to look at Allen or acknowledge him. If he did, he might end up doing something well and truly stupid. Like apologising or having angry make up sex.

Allen stood awkwardly and looked at Sixty slamming on the door. “Don’t bother, your brother and my team are in league. They won’t let us out until...god, who knows.” He said tiredly, sitting down on a bench. His chest felt tight just looking at Sixty, but he wasn’t going to start anything. Not after that little outburst in the interrogation room.

One more growl of frustration and Sixty spun away from the door. He still didn't look at Allen though and instead took to prowling the training gym. There were no cameras, no windows, nothing. It was the most private room in the whole building and Sixty had to give it to the others, they knew their shit.

The silence was growing too long, a glance at Allen was his mistake. He looked so dejected, slumped on a bench.

"Why are we fighting?" He finally asked, leaning against the wall.

Allen looked up when Sixty spoke, then looked away, unsure of whether he wanted to look at him right now. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, shrugging. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to be honest just yet, when Sixty was still maybe in his weird mood.

“I know why I’m mad. I have a guess at why you are.” He finally admitted, “Why do you think?” He wanted to hear if Sixty was ready to be serious about this.

The question turned back on him had Sixty paling. Having to guess what he'd fucked up had been one of Elijah's favourite games. He had to remind himself that Allen wasn't Elijah, that he wasn't asking Sixty such questions to trip him up. It didn't stop his breath from catching and his heart pounding in his chest.

"Because I broke protocol and rules, I didn't appreciate the help you gave, and didn't give you the respect you deserve." That was a fairly well rounded answer, encompassing the usual key points Elijah often demanded. Sixty didn't realise he had started shaking as he spoke and he jammed his hands behind his back, falling into a military stance to try and hide it.

Allen caught sight of Sixty out of the corner of his eye and immediately felt bad. Clearly he was torn up over this, more so than even Allen. Sitting up a little straighter, he looked at Sixty properly, patting the bench next to him in invitation. 

“No, not because of any of that.” He replied, “Because I was worried about you and you brushed that aside like it was a joke.” Taking another hard look at Sixty, Allen added “I don’t...demand respect from people, especially you.”

It was just as well Sixty was well versed in panic attacks because at least he knew he wasn't having a heart attack. Breathing shallow, he tried to lock his muscles into place, determined not to let on how badly the argument was starting to affect him.

"Nobody who demands respect gets it from me anyway, so you're safe," he spat. What he couldn't say was that he needed to be able to laugh things off. Because if he didn't, the worry and fear would fester, rendering him a tearful mess who couldn't function. Brushing things off and laughing about them was how he coped.

Allen was worried now, seeing how Sixty was starting to lash out. He didn’t look too good physically, his chest visibly heaving as he stood stock still. “Are you okay?” He asked, lowering his voice to a softer tone. He was still angry, in a way, but he was more concerned with how his boyfriend looked right now. 

“Seriously, Sixty, I got mad but I’m not...going to punish you or hurt you.”

There it was. The softening before the lashing out. Sixty choked back a whimper and tried not to hunch over protectively too much, waiting for the outburst.

"Just get it over with, please." His voice was hoarse, resigned to whatever Allen had deemed fitting. If he'd had his phone on him, he might have been able to call Connor to at least come help intervene. However, Sixty was locked in and trapped.

“Get what over with?” Allen asked, confusion taking over suddenly, “Sixty I’m very sorry for whatever distress I’m causing you...” He put his hands up, palms out, to show that he wasn’t going to cause Sixty any physical harm. Allen would have stood up and tried to embrace his boyfriend, but he worried that any sudden movement would distress him further.

“If you want to come over here you can, but I’ll stay here if you need space.” Allen added, voice still soft and calm.

Allen wasn't Elijah. Allen wasn't Elijah. Sixty kept repeating that as he crept closer like a beaten dog hoping for a shred of kindness. Because sometimes Elijah could be kind. An off the cuff "well done" for an exam that achieved 100% or a "that wasn't bad" when a club took him to compete nationally at something.

Hesitantly, he sank down to the floor by Allen's feet, utterly submissive in his posture. He took a shuddering breath.

"I'm sorry I didn't take your care and worry seriously," he whispered.

Sixty sinking to his knees like this was horrifying to Allen. He was used to dating guys who were just as stubborn as he was, people who would have a shouting match then simmer for a few days before admitting sheepishly to having overreacted. This terror and panic was totally new to Allen and he hated it. Immediately he slid off the bench to join his boyfriend, hands instinctively coming up to gently grip at Sixty's arms.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I forgive you, it wasn't that big of a deal." Allen murmured, shaking his head, "I'm not mad at you, I'm not going to punish you."

"But I was out of line. I acted shamefully and did it in front of your team too." Despite his words, Sixty was leaning closer, seeking comfort while being terrified of it too. "I deserve to be ignored, to be ostracized for at least a day for this."

Memories of being forcibly ignored by the rest of his family for acting out played on his mind. Bland food left on the side for him to pick up and eat in the corner of the room while the rest of the family had something nice to eat at the table. Watching Elijah drive off with everyone else to have fun somewhere while he was left home alone. Sixty felt sick.

"I might throw up, I'm sorry."

That made up Allen's mind for him, and he folded Sixty into a loose hug, holding him close to try and comfort him. "You don't deserve anything like that, fuck, Sixty. I'm sorry, I just needed some time to myself to figure out my own shit." He said, trying to explain what to Sixty must have seemed like the beginnings of a punishment. 

"If you need to, that's okay. We're on the mats, they've seen worse." Allen reassured him, and it was true. He had seen new recruits vomit from stress or a badly aimed blow to the stomach, not to mention the blood that regularly got spilled here. The mats were about 50% bleach at this point and that was fine.

Doing his best to keep control of his roiling stomach, Sixty sagged into the arms around him. The stress of the whole morning was rapidly catching up with him. He'd been attacked in his work place then got into an argument with his boyfriend because he couldn't accept the care and worry shown him.

It was a mad scramble to get away from Allen, throat tightening as he retched. Nothing really came up other than bile owing to the fact he hadn't really had breakfast.

When Sixty scrambled away, Allen let him go, one hand reaching out to gently rub circles into his back. "There you go, it's okay. You're gonna be okay." Allen soothed, internally worried at the fact that Sixty seemed to be functioning on an empty stomach. That wouldn't do at all. 

Once it seemed like Sixty was done, Allen scooted closer again, offering part of his shirt for Sixty to use to wipe off his mouth. "Do you want me to get you some water?" He asked, not sure how well leaving would be taken.

Sweat made Sixty's clothes cling to him. He hated throwing up so much, it always made him blotchy, got his eyes watering and skin covered in a sheen of sweat.

"I can't get your shirt dirty," he backed away from Allen's offer, eyes wide. Water did sound good but he wasn't about to let Allen serve him, he hadn't earned that.

Struggling to his feet, he swayed a little, woozy from the adrenaline crash and exhausted from his emotional rollercoaster. He could probably get the rest of the day off after the incident with the criminal. It would probably be a good idea. On jellied legs he wobbled a little as he started towards the water fountain.

Allen was up on his feet after Sixty in a flash, one arm around his waist to support him. "Easy, I don't want you to fall." He murmured. He was already mentally calculating how much leave he had and how much it would be appropriate to take to go take care of his boyfriend. 

He eased Sixty down to drink from the fountain, watching him carefully to make sure he wasn't going to vomit or pass out.

After a few mouthfuls of water, Sixty straightened up and offered Allen a timid smile.

"You think they'll let us out now? I think I would like to go home."

He didn't want to think at all for a bit. Not about criminals, not about meddling brothers, not about cleaning up vomit from a mat. Just silence, that was all he wanted.

Allen nodded, saying "Yeah, they'd better." If they didn't, he was going to have strong words with whoever was on the other side of that door. Probably Connor. Oh god, Connor. He was probably going to go berserk again when he saw Sixty like this.

"Do you want me to take you home? Or do you want Connor to?" Allen asked. He still wasn't sure of his welcome, honestly. They hadn't really...resolved anything about their fight earlier, aside from him throwing aside his concerns because Sixty looked ill.

The choice made Sixty blink in confusion, he still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Allen wanted to help him.

"Would you mind?" His voice was barely audible as he dared to ask for something for himself. Chancing a look at Allen, he blinked owlishly, so tired now that he wasn't on full alert. He thought about his bike in the parking lot but it was probably unwise for him to drive. Though he couldn't even guarantee he wouldn't fall asleep holding onto Allen. Idly he wondered how the SWAT team got there so quickly.

“I would be happy to take care of you” Allen reassured Sixty, nodding to his team as they opened the door and looked at them in confusion. “I’ll be taking the rest of the day off to take Sixty home” Allen said to Scott, “Can you take care of the rest of the paperwork?” He barely waited to see the nod he received, because he had no doubt he would get it.

Slowly, Allen ushered Sixty out to the parking lot. It was going to be dangerous to let Sixty sit behind him on the bike, but there was no other option. “Can you hold onto me?” Allen asked, “I’ll keep one hand on you so that you don’t slip off.”

Sixty couldn't meet anyone's eyes on the way out. He did recognise Connor's shoes though and saw the aborted step he took towards them. However, Sixty shied away from any touch other than Allen's.

Clambering onto the bike, he started off with trying to keep some distance between him and Allen but all too soon, he was slumped against his back

"I can be good. I won't slip off," he muttered. "You don't need to worry about me."


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected ally arrives, just in time for a rather unexpected affliction to set in... Really, this chapter is just a case of 'sink or swim' for Allen in a lot of ways
> 
> Note: there is some sex later on in the chapter where one party is less than enthusiastic to participate but still does so willingly
> 
> (new tag added)

The ride was a bit of a blur. Sixty was lost in a haze. This was why he never tried to deal with emotions. It was much better for everyone if he laughed them off, brushed them to the side and never acknowledged them. Running from them was so much easier.

"I worry about you all the time, darling." Allen replied, just loud enough for Sixty to hear as he started the engine. He took the drive to Sixty's place extremely slow, just to be sure he didn't jostle his passenger or potentially lose him off the back of the bike. Allen had decided to take Sixty back to his apartment because that way Connor and Nines would have an easier time getting there if they wanted to.

Once they arrived, Allen patted Sixty's arm, asking "Can you stand? Or do you want me to carry you?"

It took a bit of effort for Sixty to push off the bike. He almost nodded off once or twice during the ride and only just caught himself before slipping.

"I can stand," he replied. "Thank you for bringing me home."

Slowly, he approached his front door, once he was home he could stop having to function and let go. Sixty didn't expect Allen to follow him beyond seeing him to the door.

Allen parked his bike properly and got up, following Sixty closely to make sure he didn’t fall again. He was being terribly stubborn about not getting help, and while Allen could guess why it was still frustrating. 

“You don’t have to thank me. I’m going to make sure you’re taken care of.” Allen insisted once they were at the door, “You go lie down and I’ll make you something simple to eat.” He was still worried at how empty Sixty’s stomach seemed to be.

The last thing Sixty wanted was food. All he could think about was getting on a horizontal surface - be it bed, couch or even floor and not moving.

He left the door open for Allen to follow him in and there was a small flash of pride that he managed to make his way to the bed before curling up on top of the covers and finally letting his mind go blank.

Outside, the screech of a bike being driven too hard and without much thought for anyone else could be heard. It came to a stop next to Allen's bike and Connor hopped off, worried for Sixty and in a rush to check in on him.

Allen watched to make sure Sixty laid down, following him into the bedroom and finagling the covers over top of him. Once that was done he headed out to the kitchen only to hear the telltale signs of a Stern brother outside. 

Deciding to head off the trouble, Allen answered the door and opened it for Connor, saying "Quiet, I think he's asleep...or something."

It was the "or something" that Connor feared.

"I'm not here to argue, I'm here to check on my brother." He slipped past Allen and headed for Sixty. "Where is he? Bathroom? Bedroom?"

He was half tempted to start giving out orders, telling Allen to make some tea and grab the hot water bottles but there was uncertainty whether it would be seen as a threat. Instead, Connor was going to see Sixty for himself before deciding what to do next.

“Bedroom.” Allen said, following Connor as he went, “Does he...does this happen often? What do I do?” For once, he was trying to view Connor as an ally and not a threat. They both seemed concerned over the same thing now, which was Sixty’s health.

Seeing him curled up on the bed like that...it made Allen’s heart clench.

In the bedroom, Sixty hadn't moved, eyes staring, unseeing. Connor sighed and tutted as he began jostling Sixty, urging him to sit up for a bit, just so he could help undress him. Sleeping in a shirt was definitely not comfortable. His eyes lingered on all the tattoos but there was nothing to say. With Allen's help, they tucked Sixty back in before retreating to the kitchen.

"It's been a long time since he had an episode like this." Connor rubbed at his face tiredly. "After he came out of the army, he was more prone to these catatonic states when emotionally overloaded. It's something he'll just snap out of with a couple of potential outcomes. He'll act like nothing has happened or he'll be a bit disoriented and weepy. Though I do hope it's the weepy one, fewer nightmares follow that. There's no guessing which it will be unfortunately. Until then, he can be cajoled into drinking sugary tea so he has at least some energy and stays hydrated."

Allen groaned and rubbed at his own face, feeling frankly a little overwhelmed himself. “So you just have to...pretend this didn’t happen afterwards?” He asked, wanting to make sure that he didn’t fuck up and say something worse once Sixty finally woke up. He already felt terrible, that would be the cherry on top of this shitty day.

Turning away from Connor, Allen busied himself with making tea, rummaging through Sixty’s cupboards to find what he needed. At least this he could manage. What he wanted to do was talk about this whole thing and how it had happened and what was he supposed to do in the future - just never argue with Sixty?? But he kept his mouth shut. Connor hadn’t exactly been the most understanding person in Allen’s experience, so it was better to just avoid that conversation.

The look Connor shot Allen was one that clearly said he thought he was a dumbass.

"Sixty may well try to pretend he is fine. I probably chose the wrong words there. He could try to shrug it off with an insistence that he's fine." With Allen taking over making tea, it gave Connor a moment to slump down. "This is all my fault. Sorry. I thought the training gym would be big enough not to push him over the edge. But like an idiot I didn't factor in that he just got attacked at work. Sure, he laughed it off but that's Sixty's way of dealing with everything. If it can be laughed at, it wasn't serious and so doesn't need to be talked about."

He had probably said too much about Sixty and he felt guilty for that. But it did seem like Allen was trying to help and Connor wanted him to understand.

With the tea brewing, Allen turned to Connor, leaning against the counter as he watched him. The apology and the posture made him think it might be safe to have a conversation. Maybe. That look hadn’t helped.

Crossing his arms, Allen admitted “I got mad over the whole laughing it off thing. I know he puts up walls constantly, but that made me angry. But instead of talking to me about it he panicked and just...shut down. Vomited. It was bad.”

That did sound bad and Connor winced.

"It's a fine balance with Sixty, you can argue with him until you're blue in the face. It wasn't the anger that set him off. Not directly anyway. Hell, you two were throwing barbs at each other for long before you got together." Connor laughed and shook his head. It was all too bizarre that he was talking about Sixty to someone who not so long ago he was trying to drive away from his family. "To boil it down, he got assaulted when he wasn't expecting it which likely drove stress levels up. Then I locked him in a room and I'm guessing you were not explosively angry. If you asked him anything that echoed too much of our childhood that could have been the tipping point. Maybe something about deserving this? Or making him second guess your emotions?"

He was taking a stab in the dark but he wouldn't have been surprised if Allen accidentally asked something the wrong way.

Allen groaned. He could feel a headache coming on, and turned to rummage through Sixty’s cabinets to try and find some pain meds. Today had been hell on his emotions already, and he had a feeling it was only going to get worse. He was going to need the Tylenol.

“I asked him what he thought I was mad about” Allen admitted with another soft groan, “I had no idea why he was so mad at me, so I honestly wanted to clear up any misconceptions. That’s about when he started shaking, going off about respecting me...” He shook his head, trying to shake the image of Sixty crawling on his knees to rest at his feet. That had been terrifying.

"That would do it. We were often asked to list our sins and guess why our stepfather could be seeking to correct our behaviour. And how that punishment should be delivered." The memories sent a shudder down his spine but he could deal. Turning to Allen, he softened a little. "Are you okay? It's a lot to take in and deal with."

Allen mentally filed that away as he went to grab a glass of water to take his pills. At least now he knew. When Connor questioned him, Allen turned with a shrug. “It’s not really about me, is it? Me wanting to air my grievances is what landed us in this mess in the first place.” It wasn’t fair, really, not when Connor was trying to be kind. But he couldn’t stop himself.

"Oh hush now, pull your head out of your ass. It was a string of events with bad timing. Any one at a time and it wouldn't make Sixty do more than bristle most days. And if you're going to be like this when he finally snaps out of it, it might not do either of you any favours."

Connor was trying his best, he really was. But no amount of ignoring their history could brush over it. He and Allen weren't friends by any means but Connor was making an effort, for Sixty's sake if nothing else.

Allen sighed again, admitting with some effort “Sorry. You’re not exactly the person I was hoping to talk to, but you’re the only one who gets it.” He didn’t like to appear weak in front of Connor, but his shoulders drooped a bit. “I’m fucking exhausted. And at a loss, to be honest. Everything I did today really fucked Sixty up, and that feels pretty bad.” He said slowly, tentatively opening up to Connor in the hopes that he would have any sort of recommendation.

"And you're not the person I was hoping my brother would end up with but here we are," Connor shot back. "For what it's worth, you didn't fuck up. It's just shit piled on top of shit. Sixty won't hold a grudge for this if that helps. He'll probably try to pretend it's all okay or make out that he's silly for being over sensitive."

He grabbed the cooling mug of tea and gestured towards the door. "Want to help with this? Or want a moment to yourself?"

Allen bristled at that, forcing himself not to be worked up over Connor being a shit. He had started it this time, he supposed. Taking a deep breath, he asked “But what do I do? It’s not okay, I can’t just pretend it didn’t happen. But I’m scared to push.”

When Connor asked, Allen pushed himself up, shaking his head and insisting stubbornly “I’m fine. I want to help.”

Not challenging Allen, Connor simply nodded and took the mug to the bedroom.

"Hey Sixty," he spoke softly. "You need a drink so we're going to sit you up and help you have some warm tea."

He set the tea to the side and reached for his brother, sitting him up with practised ease.

"Keep a hand on his back," he told Allen even as he reached for the mug, the other hand guiding Sixty's to it. Slowly, he helped raise it to Sixty's lips and they watched as he drank but not really aware of what was going on around him.

"That's it," Connor encouraged him as the mug emptied and he took it away, giving Sixty's lips and chin a quick wipe without even realising what he was doing. They laid Sixty down and tucked him back in.

The first sign of change was Sixty's breathing changing to something a bit more hurried and he blinked a few times before his breath hitched with a confused and soft "what?" which was too close to a cry.

Allen felt strangely out of place here, with Connor so patiently taking care of Sixty in what was obviously practiced movements. His own self pity and misery over the day suggested that maybe he should just leave Connor to it. Not like he had been much help.

But Allen did his best regardless, stepping back from the bed after they tucked him in and watching Sixty as he lay there. The only sign of his hesitation came when Sixty started to wake up - instead of immediately rushing to him, Allen paused and looked to Connor instead.

The way Allen lurched towards Sixty was obvious to Connor and he nodded.

"Talk to him, he'll probably cry but it's okay to hold him through it. I need to go make a few phone calls."

With that, Connor turned and left even if all his instincts were screaming to curl up with Sixty and chase Allen away.

Allen nodded once to Connor, glad again that he had chosen Sixty’s apartment instead of his own - it made it easier for Connor to come and go.

Carefully, cautiously, Allen sat down on the bed next to Sixty and set a hand on what he assumed was his side. “Hey...welcome back.” He murmured softly.

The voice sounded familiar and Sixty whined, not sure what was going on. The last thing he remembered was getting a message from Connor saying he was hurt.

"What?" He managed to croak, disoriented. The surface he was on was soft, the room half dark, it was familiar, like the voice but he couldn't yet place it.

Allen realized suddenly that Sixty was going to need more guidance. “It’s me, it’s Allen. I brought you to your apartment from work.” He explained quietly, “Connor is here too, he helped me look after you.”

Blindly, Sixty reached for the voice. It was comfort, it was safety. Everything was jumbled and a mess in his mind, echoes of fear, of stress but nothing more. He was too confused, too all over the place to do anything but whimper, large, warm tears slipping from tightly squeezed shut eyes.

"I don't understand. What's going on?"

From the other side of the door, Connor listened in. Every instinct was screaming at him to go to Sixty. But he wanted Allen to see this too, to know that Sixty wasn't as feisty and robust as he liked to portray himself. And, if Allen couldn't handle this, then maybe he would have the sense to gracefully back out whatever he and Sixty had. Connor could and would pick up the pieces and it would be so much easier now than who knew how much later down the line.

Allen found that, despite all the confusion and upset of the day, it was very easy to react to this situation. Instinctively, he scooped Sixty up in his arms, blanket and all, and held him close. Sixty's head was cradled gently against his chest as he hummed softly. He hated seeing the man he loved in so much pain - he wanted to try and take that away if he could.

"You're safe here, I've got you" Allen reassured, "You got sick at work, so Connor and I brought you home to your apartment." He wasn't sure how much more detail would be helpful at this stage, so he was just guessing.

Flashes of memory broke through the haze. Sixty could vaguely remember throwing up in the training gym.

"Sorry," he sniffed, embarrassment piling in on top of all the emotions. However, he knew he was safe, Allen's arms around him. It was all too easy to let himself not think and fall asleep, trusting Allen to protect him.

Outside the door, Connor finally relaxed. Allen had it under control, he could go and call Nines to bring him up to speed.

"It's okay. It's all okay." Allen murmured, feeling Sixty relax in his arms more naturally. It was a relief to feel him fall asleep instead of...whatever that had been earlier. Slowly, so as not to disturb him, Allen shifted them both into laying down, so he could doze off along with his boyfriend. They could both use the sleep.

It wasn't often that Sixty had dreams but when he did, they were ones that had him trying to stay awake afterwards. This time was no different, he knew he was dreaming but he was powerless to do anything about it.

In the dream, he and Allen were walking down the corridor to the morgue. Only, it was all covered in sand and Sixty knew that there were IEDs buried in it. Just like he knew Allen was going to step on one and, no matter how much he pleaded and begged, Allen kept walking, ignoring Sixty's tearful words.

Even though Sixty knew it was coming, the explosion still made him jolt and cry out. As the dust settled he could see the blood spattered remains of Allen, bones at unnatural angles. As he approached the body of his boyfriend, Allen's head twisted, neck turning on a broken axis.

"This is all your fault," Allen said and Sixty woke with a desperate hiccough.

Allen had only been lightly dozing with Sixty in his arms - while he was exhausted he was also still keyed up with worry. So when Sixty started to squirm and twitch, Allen very quickly woke up. At first he was disoriented, confused by where he was and what he was worried about. But hearing that soft noise out of Sixty immediately had him focused.

"Sixty? Hey, you're okay, you're awake now." He reassured, pretty sure that Sixty had been having a nightmare.

A shuddering gasp left Sixty as his gaze found Allen. Reaching for him, he clutched at his boyfriend, whispering "I'm sorry" and "you're alive" over and over again.

The tears didn't come but this was almost worse as he tried to separate dream from reality completely. It took Sixty a minute or two before he could uncurl from where he had clung to Allen and could look at him without almost breaking.

Allen's heart lurched as he heard Sixty's apologies, extrapolating how terrible of a dream it must have been from those simple words. 

"I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere" Allen promised, trying to reassure Sixty with his voice and his touch that this was reality. "You're awake, and you're here with me." He murmured.

Pulling himself together, Sixty worked hard to regain his composure.

"Thank you," he whispered from where he had burrowed into the side of Allen's neck. "And I'm sorry."

His head was starting to clear but he wasn't yet ready to let his boyfriend go.

Allen wasn't going to let Sixty go any time soon. He held him closer, if that was possible, replying "No need to apologize. You're okay."

Slumping into the firm hold, Sixty let himself just exist, though he was fully in the moment and not adrift on an overload. Patches of the morning were coming back, he knew he had over reacted and badly but couldn't quite place what had set him off.

The bedroom door opened and Connor appeared, bearing a tray with three plates on it.

"Hey Sixty," he greeted with a small smile. "You up for a bit of food?"

He put the tray down and Sixty was immediately reaching for the toast, uncaring of the crumb trail he was leaving in the bed.

Allen was honestly surprised to see Connor appear in the doorway. Well, he supposed he shouldn't be. It was unlikely Connor would leave his brother alone just with his deadbeat boyfriend after such an intense day.

Allen loosened his grip and allowed Sixty to shift around however he wanted to eat.

Content to stay curled up against Allen, Sixty munched on his toast in silence. He was grateful there was no "are you okay?" or "want to talk about it?" being thrown at him. Because he really didn't want to.

"Did I miss much?" He settled on asking in the end.

"Not a lot. Nines will pop by this evening, you've got me for the rest of the day and I'm not sure how long Allen is staying for." Connor was eating with a little more class, holding his plate under his toast to catch the crumbs. Almost unthinkingly, he nudged the third plate towards Allen.

Allen was holding himself back from questions for a few reasons - Connor was here and that was making him feel more than a little awkward, and he was also too tired to deal with another potential fight. He took the plate when he was offered it, slowly munching at the toast as he listened.

"I'm here as long as you want me." Allen said with a shrug, "If you want to spend time with your brothers I can head home." It was an honest offer, no malice behind it. He still wasn't sure if Sixty was going to be mad at him once he was done being upset.

In a moment of selfishness, Sixty shook his head. He liked having Allen there, it was reassuring and maybe, if he could play his cards right, a mutual orgasm to deal with pent up energy might just happen.

"I'll be okay if that's what you're worried about." He bodily pressed against Allen like a cat. "I don't want to hold you prisoner but I really like having you here if you wanted to stay."

Rolling his eyes, Connor snorted, knowing full well where Sixty's mind was straying. He got up once his toast was finished and leaned forward to whisper something in Sixty's ear before leaving the room.

Allen would never admit it, but it made him feel better to hear that Sixty liked having him here. It soothed a bit of his bruised ego from earlier to know that he was just as wanted in this scenario as Sixty's brothers. His arm snaked around his boyfriend's waist and held him closer. 

"I'll stay as long as you want." Allen reassured him. Sex was probably the furthest thing from his mind, so he was honestly pretty weirded out when Connor suddenly snorted and retreated from the room. But he simply nodded gratefully in his direction and added "Thanks for the toast."

A grumble of "ass" was obscured by another mouthful of toast and a cascade of crumbs.

"I'll always want you," Sixty tried to reassure Allen. "In every sense of the word."

He had the audacity to turn and wink at his boyfriend then, gently trying to test the waters. Connor was probably right but it never hurt to ask.

Allen chuckled at the sudden spray of crumbs. It was endearing, especially after all the trouble they had been through earlier. 

He was about to say something sweet about wanting to stay by Sixty's side when he caught sight of that wink again. He was just as surprised this time as he had been in the interrogation room, eyes narrowing in confusion. 

"Uh....you're gonna have to be a bit more clear." He admitted.

Wow, that got uncomfortable quickly. Sixty squirmed and pulled away a little, suddenly rather self-conscious.

"Remember what I said about sex and coping?" He hedged, hoping Allen understood from just that.

Allen’s tired mind clunked along, trying to pull up the conversation Sixty was referencing. When he did get it, Allen felt like a right idiot. 

“Oh.” He said dumbly, “So you uh, you are serious.” At this point Allen wasn’t all that interested in getting off, but if Sixty wanted it, he’d have it from Allen. And he was sure he’d enjoy himself as well once they got started. 

“If you want it, I’ll give it to you” he reassured, soothing a hand over Sixty’s cheek.

Temptation was strong and Sixty bit his lips. He wasn't horny as such but he couldn't think of any other way of dealing with pent up emotions. Eventually, he shook his head.

"You don't sound convinced, we'll leave it for now. I can always get myself off later when nobody is around."

He kissed the palm against his cheek, grateful for the offer but the lack of enthusiasm from Allen wasn't a turn on.

Allen wasn’t going to fuck this up again. He really couldn’t handle disappointing Sixty once more today, especially not when he had been specially invited to stay. 

“C’mere.” Allen murmured, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend. He needed to feel useful, and Sixty wanted to get off. This could benefit both of them, he was sure. And Connor could just plug his ears out in the next room.

The kiss was unexpected but Sixty opened up for it eagerly. He let Allen control it, gave over to him completely. Turning a little to get a better angle, Sixty's hands began to roam over his boyfriend's body, enjoying the warmth seeping through the material of his t-shirt.

Considering Allen's less than overwhelming eagerness for sex, Sixty didn't push. He was learning to try and be content with what he was given, which wasn't all that different to the denial of pleasure he often put himself through.

It was comforting to have Sixty seeking him out, the hands roving across his body a welcome feeling. When he opened up, Allen eagerly deepened the kiss, intent on providing the comfort Sixty needed. 

It helped that Sixty was so easy to enjoy, Allen’s own hands roaming across his body. They mapped out his back and then up across the planes of his stomach and chest, thumb brushing over Sixty’s nipple through his shirt.

Allen's thumb over Sixty's nipple was unexpected and had him arching into the touch. Breath caught in his throat a little, making their kiss stutter. However, Sixty refused to beg or ask for more. His boyfriend had been very clear on not being sold on the idea of sex and Sixty wasnt going to push the issue, no matter how much he ached for it. He could always grab a toy later if he needed.

This resolution didn't stop the small whisper of begging for Allen forming on his lips. He wanted everything Allen was comfortable offering.

Sixty was responsive and pliant under his hands, and Allen loved that. Slowly, his confidence was returning as he continued to make Sixty feel good. 

“You tell me if anything is too much, okay?” He murmured, before letting his mouth wander down to kiss along Sixty’s neck, not quite harsh enough to leave marks. He wasn’t sure still if hickeys were okay all the time.

"Nothing's too much right now," Sixty panted, already starting to float a little. "I want to feel it tomorrow. Make me ache with it."

So much for not making demands, but when Allen was being so attentive and generous with his touch, it was hard not to ask for more. Sixty tipped his head to the side, silently pleading for more, for Allen to mark him up and claim him. He needed that reminder right now, that declaration of emotional ownership.

Allen was eager to please and quick to follow instructions, so as soon as Sixty asked, he latched onto the delicate skin of his neck and set about sucking in a fantastic hickey. 

While his mouth busied itself with marking up Sixty’s neck, Allen’s hands slid up under the hem of his shirt, touching and exploring and finding all of the delicate spots. Eventually he would need to take the shirt off but that would mean stopping his kisses so that was for later.

In a way, Sixty should have been embarrassed at how Allen's attention was getting him hard already. However, he was too busy clinging onto his shoulders and insistently pushing into his boyfriend's touch.

Sixty couldn't really help the way his legs fell open in a hopeful invitation for more. He wanted so much more but left himself at Allen's mercy, accepting whatever pleasure was thrown his way.

Allen honestly would have been surprised if Sixty wasn’t getting hard from this - he had been the one asking for more all day. So when those legs fell open in such a clear invitation, Allen wasted very little time in snaking down a hand to cup Sixty through his underwear. 

Allen hummed happily against Sixty’s neck, pulling back to murmur “You’re doing so good, let me take care of you” He didn’t want Sixty to get ashamed or embarrassed over his clear and quick reaction.

Blood thrumming in excitement, Sixty's breathing was harsh as Allen cupped him. He wanted everything he could get, from kisses to warm hands holding him down.

"You know where I keep the lube," he murmured, eyes slipping shut as he sank more into the moment, letting himself get lost in the building pleasure.

Allen wasn’t disinterested in this, but he had to admit that he just wasn’t getting as hard as fast as Sixty.  _ But _ he was more than confident in his ability to make his boyfriend see stars with just his fingers and his mouth. Especially with how far gone he already was. 

Still mouthing on and off at his neck, Allen gently settled Sixty back on the bed so that he was splayed out on his back. Taking a moment before he grabbed the lube he murmured “You’re so gorgeous babe.” And it was true - Sixty looked good enough to eat like this.

Impatient, Sixty shimmied out of his underwear while Allen grabbed the lube. He had a hand loosely wrapped around his cock and was giving it a couple of lax strokes, just to keep himself occupied. The wonderful pulses of pleasure were already making his mind blissfully blank and siphoning off all the pent up energy from emotions, twisting them into something manageable. Silent as ever, he pried his eyes open to try and wordlessly beg Allen to hurry up.

Allen was happy to see Sixty already helping him prepare. This was all about him, after all, so Allen wanted him doing whatever would make him feel good. “Perfect, let me help you” he murmured, settling between Sixty’s thighs and lubing up his fingers on one hand. The other hand went to replace Sixty’s on his cock as Allen leaned down to take it into his mouth.

Breath caught in Sixty's throat as Allen leaned down to take the tip of his cock in his mouth. Even more so as fingers pressed against is hole.

"I can take two from the start, but make it three quickly so I'll feel it for days, please," he whispered frantically. He needed everything Allen could possibly give him.

Usually Allen would have questioned Sixty, or made him slow down. But right now he was willing to do anything he asked. And if he sounded too pained, then Allen would back down. Building up a rhythm with his mouth and hand, he slipped first two fingers in, then quickly added a third after some minimal stretching.

Sixty's mouth fell open on a silent scream as Allen forced his body open so quickly. It burned, his muscles seized a little and it was perfect.

"More, please, make me take more and forget." He was pushing things, he knew it but it was the perfect kind of pain he craved. Numbing everything with pain laced pleasure. With four fingers Allen might start approaching the size of the toy he would have used by himself. Only, Allen had full control here, adding another layer of delight to it all.

Allen didn’t particularly like Sixty’s pleas to forget, but he wanted to make him feel good no matter what. Before he tried to force a fourth finger in, he relaxed his throat and with a deep breath in through his nose sunk down on Sixty’s cock. His free hand went to hold the other man’s hips down so he didn’t buck up into it and make him gag.

By that point, Sixty was definitely forcibly holding back on his orgasm. He wanted more, wondered whether Allen would let them try his whole fist. It never hurt to ask so he did, voice barely more than a hoarse whisper, straining to find words.

The sudden warm softness around his cock made his muscles seize, clamping down around Allen's fingers, desperately trying not to thrust deeper. Sixty still accidentally twitched a little despite his best efforts, a small gasp leaving him. They had to be quiet, Connor probably already knew what they were up to but it was still courteous to not be shameless about it.

Allen heard Sixty’s request but it felt like that was a whole other activity for when they weren’t already a little off from normal. He had no experience with fisting, but he did acquiesce and finally slide in a fourth finger, slowly pumping in and out of Sixty’s hole. 

With Sixty so keyed up, Allen was angling to bring him off soon, leave him boneless and sated. He swallowed around Sixty’s cock, tears pricking at his eyes as that little twitch nudged his throat and forced a little groan out of him.

The fourth finger was definitely more pain than pleasure but Sixty let out a choked off moan as he pushed down to take them deeper. As Allen swallowed around him, he lost the fight at hold back on his climax and shuddered in silence, muscles twitching and pulsing as he came.

It was everything he needed, all the stress and strain flooding out of his systems, leaving him a weak mess of gasps and shivers. Sixty didn't even have it in him to move for a precious few minutes, enjoying the nothingness that such an orgasm brought him.

Allen choked a little at first, but managed to relax before he made a mess, managing to swallow down most of Sixty’s orgasm. Once Sixty’s cock had gone completely soft, Allen sat up and massaged at his jaw, trying to work the residual soreness out. 

He slowly slipped his fingers out as well, feeling a little bad about how abused Sixty’s hole looked in the aftermath. But his boyfriend looked so good and so peaceful after this that he couldn’t help but feel accomplished. Allen murmured soft praise as he watched Sixty finally relax.

Rolling onto his side, Sixty flopped over Allen, pulling him in with a lazy grin.

"That was exactly what I needed, thanks babe," he slurred a little. His whole body felt like liquid heat, pulsing in time with his heartbeat as he calmed down. Reaching up, Sixty cupped Allen's cheek and pressed a thumb into the muscles of his jaw, trying to help them relax.

Allen let himself be pulled in happily. Some of the tension was starting to leave him thanks to the eager way Sixty kept reaching for him, combined with the feeling of doing something right finally.

“I’m glad” Allen replied, voice a little rough but smile genuine. He appreciated the gentle attempt of Sixty to help his jaw relax, a soft sigh escaping as his thumb hit a particularly tender place.

Gradually, Sixty gathered himself back up into a semblance of his usual self. He kissed Allen sweetly, before pulling away and stretching, wincing a little at the pain it brought.

"I think we deserve something nice to eat, don't you?" He rolled off the bed and found a pair of sweatpants to pull on before reaching for Allen. "You'll probably want to wash your hand anyway. I'll make us something while you do that."

Opening the bedroom door, he waited for Allen to get with the program. As an afterthought he added, "And we can see about returning you such a generous favour after a snack and making sure Connor is out of hearing range. I could have you screaming tonight if you're in the mood."


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's that, on the horizon? Is it...could it be...?
> 
> Serious discussion and backstory??? Read on and find out!

Allen felt a sting of guilt as he noticed the little wince, but forced himself not to say anything. Sixty had asked him for that, so he must like the burn afterwards. What he hadn’t anticipated was how quickly Sixty returned to normal after that orgasm.

A little worried still, Allen said “Are you okay to get up already? You don’t have to push yourself, I’m sure Connor or I can make us something. Or we can order takeout.” He sat up himself though, knowing he’d need to wash up regardless.

Looking over at his boyfriend, Sixty made his smile reach wider.

"What can I say? You taking me apart like that has put me back together." He waited for Allen to join him by the door. "Let me make something for you and Connor. You've both had your days shit on, it's the least I can do to make up for it."

Wandering out of the room, Sixty found Connor in the kitchen and gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze. He made no attempt to hide his slight limp or the fact that he reeked of sex. Still, it was his home, he refused to have shame about what he got up to.

Allen was still very concerned, but he didn’t let it show. He knew he should be grateful that he had helped Sixty, but he was still so off kilter that everything felt off. He managed a smile and leaned up to kiss his boyfriend before heading to the bathroom to wash up.

By the time he walked into the kitchen, Allen felt normal enough to give Connor a smile even though he definitely knew they had just been fucking.

Some things were better not touched, even with the shitty end of a six foot barge pole. So Connor politely smiled back and ignored all the telltale signs of what had just happened in the bedroom. He was taking a chance to be grateful that he didn't have to suffer the sounds that tended to go with those kinds of things.

"Three portions of stir fry coming right up," Sixty announced, far too pleased. He'd had Connor help chop vegetables so it really was ready quickly. Doing his best to pretend everything was fine and normal was a bit of a strain but he didn't know what else to do. Now that the worst of it was over, he was going to be fine, there was no other option but to be okay.

It was very lucky for Connor that Allen hadn’t been interested, as he was very bad at being quiet. Making noise during sex was a way to show his appreciation, so he rarely held back.

“Thanks babe.” Allen said, walking over to the stove and wrapping an arm around Sixty. He shot Connor a questioning look when he got the chance, wondering if this was normal. This whole ‘pretending nothing had happened’ thing was making him worry more, honestly. But he didn’t dare ask for fear of stepping out of line again.

Words of wisdom from Hank last week came to Connor. It was always better to talk things out than let them bottle up. When Allen shot him a questioning look, Connor sighed.

"Hey Sixty?" He drew his brother's attention. "I think your boyfriend may have some questions for you."

It was a cruel way to drop Allen in it but someone had to do it.

Sixty turned in the warm arms around him with an easy grin, "yes my love?"

Allen practically whined when Connor threw him under the bus. Goddammit. That was the last time he trusted Connor for anything. He managed an awkward smile when Sixty turned on him, but decided that he might as well open his stupid mouth again.

“Are you...okay? Seriously?” Allen said slowly, “It’s okay if you’re not, you were comatose like...half an hour ago. If you need to sit down or talk about something, I’d be relieved almost.”

Blinking down at Allen, Sixty tried to find the right words. In the end he cupped Allen's cheek and dropped a kiss to the tip of his nose.

"You are very sweet for worrying but I'm fine. Promise. I promise I don't throw myself such epic pity parties over everything. Hell, I'll probably go back to work. I was just being silly and feeling more sorry for myself than I had any right to be."

From behind them, Connor shrugged at Allen. This had always been how Sixty dealt with things, brushing them off as quickly as possible and never mentioning it again.

Allen wasn’t convinced, the worry evident in his eyes and in the wrinkle of his brows. “I just...worry. I don’t want you bottling things up and getting upset again.” He said softly, leaning his face into Sixty’s hand. He hated that Connor was here to see it but oh well.

“I’ve been worried all day.” Allen admitted in almost a whisper, his hands around Sixty’s waist tightening to hold him closer.

They were back at the worry loop. Sixty didn't know how to deal with Allen's worry, and laughing it off earlier had obviously been a mistake.

"I'm sorry?" he ventured with a small pout. "It had never been my intention to worry you."

It still felt like they were talking at cross purposes but Sixty didn't know what to say, what Allen wanted from him in this situation.

To the side, Connor cleared his throat.

"I'll be in the living room. Call me if you need anything."

Allen sighed and leaned his head on Sixty’s chest, listening to his heartbeat until he heard Connor’s footsteps leave the kitchen. 

“I know you don’t mean to worry me. No one ever does.” He said, “But let me take care of you, okay? When I’m worried I want to...do what I can to help. Not because I want to be your knight but because I love you.”

At a bit of a loss, Sixty flapped his hands. He didn't know what Allen was asking of him, or how to give him what he wanted.

"But I let you take care of me. You helped me come." His voice was low, wanting to spare Connor. "I don't know how else to let you help when it's all in my head and I just need to get over it."

His heart was squeezing at the confusion that raged through him. There wasn't anything he could think of that Allen could do to help. In the end, Sixty settled on a sad "I'm sorry" and hoped Allen would tell him what he needed.

“Let me fuss over you some more. Take care of you, keep you home from work and make sure you feel good.” Allen supplied, realizing that Sixty just didn’t know what he wanted, legitimately. “Just getting you off isn’t caring enough for me.” He added. 

Allen stayed pressed close, then hesitantly tipped his chin up to look at Sixty through his lashes. “And...talk to me. Tell me if something bothers you. Please?”

That did not seem to compute in Sixty's mind. He'd made a twit of himself, overreacted and caused a bit of a mess. Such behaviour should not be encouraged or rewarded with kindness.

He said as much, "Aren't you worried that by being nice, it's positive reinforcement for terrible behaviour?"

It seemed that Allen was intent on breaking every single world view Sixty held, shattering his expectations and the equilibrium he had found with the world at large.

Allen frowned in confusion. “I don’t think being upset and getting sick after something bad happens is terrible behavior.” He said slowly, trying to make his stance on the matter clear. 

“You’re not some kind of pet I’m trying to train, you’re my boyfriend. And when you’re upset or sick I want to take care of you.”

The only response that Sixty had to that was a soft "oh". He had been so used to dealing with things by himself if his brothers weren't available that it felt decadent to have someone so readily there for him. And they weren't even related.

"I don't have much experience of that outside of Connor and Nines. All I can do is promise to try and be better at accepting your help but I don't know what that generally entails. So you may have to remind me if I get it wrong."

It was the nice thing about being so close to an orgasm, it made things seem a little more muted and bearable. And that included being honest. Rather than his usual bluster, Sixty felt able to be more open, trusting Allen not to abuse the power he held.

Allen let a deep, long sigh escape as he readjusted his own perceptions of the situation. Sixty hadn't been pushing him away maliciously, he honestly didn't know how to accept help or worry from anyone that wasn't his brother. This was going to take some getting used to on both sides, but Allen was willing to work on it. A lot more of the tension relaxed out of his body with that sigh and he looked up at Sixty with renewed energy.

"I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for trusting me to take care of you, and for working with me on getting better." Allen said softly, "That means a lot."

There was nothing Sixty could say to that. A "you're welcome" sounded flippant but he didn't know what else was the appropriate response.

"Our food is going cold," he announced in the end, kicking himself for not being able to communicate like a proper person.

Allen snorted, but he didn’t complain. He could tell Sixty was at the end of his rope for communication, and he didn’t want to push. “Well go ahead and call Connor back in. I’ll grab some plates.” He said, slowly untangling his arms from around Sixty.

With a quick, stolen kiss, Sixty left the room. He found Connor on the sofa but he stood up quickly as his brother approached.

"All go okay?" Connor asked. Rather than reply, Sixty wriggled close for a hug, seeking the usual, steady comfort he found with his twin.

"I don't understand why he's so nice," he mumbled, sighing as Connor wrapped his arms around him. It was something Connor was bound to understand, having had similar conversations about Hank before. Still, it had been so much easier to convince Connor that Hank was good for him than it was to believe that Allen was someone Sixty deserved in his life.

Allen took a few moments to compose himself in the kitchen before he started to set the table. Some of the tension in his chest was starting abate, and he didn’t feel as if the day was a total wash now. 

Once he had set the table, Allen sat down and waited for his boyfriend to return. He wanted to give him as much time with his twin as he needed, since this was all probably a little overwhelming.

Almost sheepishly, Sixty returned with Connor in tow. He took in the set table, of Allen politely waiting for them and he ducked behind Connor, feeling shy.

"Thank you," Connor ended up saying, breaking the silence. "It's not often that we actually eat at a set table."

Sixty's reaction had told him everything he needed to know about Allen. All misgivings were pushed aside and Connor had silently promised to try and make amends. If someone could stick by Sixty after all that had happened that morning then they were someone who Connor might just be able to trust with his brother's heart.

Allen didn’t know how to make Sixty feel less awkward, so he was grateful that Connor at least wasn’t making things weird. “Well it’s the least I can do as a thank you for the home cooked meal.” Allen said, shooting Sixty what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Come sit down, let’s eat.”

Allen was at one end and Sixty seriously contemplated sitting down at the other end and letting Connor take the middle. However, Connor gave him a subtle shove and they sat down with Sixty in the middle.

"How long are you staying for?" Connor asked Allen, breaking the silence yet again.

Allen served out the food because he honestly wasn’t even sure what to do now. He had hoped that Sixty would be more relaxed now, but it seemed like the opposite had happened. 

“All night? As long as Sixty wants me here.” Allen replied.

"Would forever be too long?" Sixty muttered under his breath. He felt Connor stifle a sound so he obviously hadn't been quiet enough.

Allen didn’t quite hear Sixty, but he could tell it was something because of Connor’s reaction. “Did you say something? I missed it, sorry” he said, turning his attention to Sixty.

There was no way Sixty was going to answer that. He was trying to think of a way to squirm out of it when Connor, like the loving big brother, opened his mouth to repeat it for him.

"He was just wondering whether forever would be too long," he announced merrily and started shoveling his food. "Well, I don't think I'm really needed here. Food was delicious as always, thanks for that Six."

In record time his plate was empty and he was walking to the kitchen to put it in the sink.

Allen’s mouth dropped open at first, his initial instinct was to laugh his ass off at both Connor and also what must have just been a slip of the tongue. But then he caught sight of Sixty’s face and remembered how earnest he always was, and how emotionally raw he was right now.

So instead, Allen smiled and said “Awww Sixty, you’re too sweet to me” He wasn’t quite ready to think about the implications, but he could acknowledge that it was a sweet sentiment.

Flustered, Sixty shrugged and chose to focus on his food, deliberately slowing down his eating. As Connor had so kindly demonstrated, they were both more than capable of chowing down food in record time.

"You don't have to stay either," he finally mustered up. "It's been a stressful day for you, surely you want to take some time to relax too."

Allen went back to his food as well after waving at Connor as he left the kitchen. He was following Sixty’s cues now because he was largely lost as to how to take control of the situation. Offering to help Sixty has clearly flustered him into shyness, so Allen was trying to make it clear that things were just like normal.

“I want to relax here with you.” Allen replied, looking over at Sixty seriously, “The fact that you wanted me to stay makes me feel...nice.”

It was a bit of a struggle to believe that after everything Allen still wanted to stay. And that Sixty had managed to make him feel nice. Hesitantly, he offered a small smile.

"I don't know what's nice about spending time with me but I don't think I've got the capacity to argue right now. So I'll just say I'm glad you want to stay."

Under the table, he nudged his foot closer to Allen's, pressing against him for reassurance.

Allen almost admitted to his earlier jealousy over Connor, but decided that would be too much. Instead, he simply pushed away his finished plate and patted his lap to invite Sixty to come sit with him.

“I always enjoy spending time with you.” Allen explained, “You’re funny, and sweet, and incredibly sexy. So why wouldn’t I want to stay the night? Especially when you asked me to.”

Aiming for a sedate clamber, Sixty paced himself as he settled in Allen's lap, sighing a little in happiness.

"It still feels terribly selfish."

At long last Connor emerged from the kitchen and took one look at them.

"Just as well you declared your love of each other at the quarry, otherwise I might be thinking you're idiots for not saying so already." He waved at them both. "Any problems, give me a shout. That goes for both of you. Though Nines will drop by after he's done at work, just to make sure everything is going okay."

Allen wrapped his arms around Sixty, smiling as he felt the larger man settle against him. This was perfect. A little ungainly, but perfect.

"It's okay to be a little selfish." he murmured.

Allen was so happy he didn't even mind Connor's teasing, laughing a little bit at himself. "In fairness, we waited until you were out of the room." he pointed out.

Hands up in mock defeat, Connor dipped his head as he agreed.

"True, true. And for that I shall remain eternally grateful. I shall take my leave now. Look after each other."

Sixty listened to his brother walk to the front door and the lock clicked into place behind him. He slumped a little in relief.

"You two didn't kill each other."

Allen waved graciously as Connor made his exit, then turned to Sixty as soon as they were alone. He planted a kiss to the side of his head where he was slumped against Allen’s chest, happy to be alone now.

“Yeah, I guess we both had a common goal in looking after you today.” Allen admitted, a little surprised himself at how decently that had gone. Sure, it hadn’t been perfect, but he hadn’t wanted to murder Connor, and it seemed as if the twin had felt the same.

Subdued and still a little raw, Sixty curled against Allen, hiding from his gaze.

"What would you like to do this afternoon?" he left the choice to Allen, feeling uncertain after everything. "You should get a chance to relax given the morning you've had."

Allen hummed thoughtfully, cradling Sixty against his chest. He didn’t really have a plan for now, but he did want to make sure that his boyfriend felt loved and appreciated. 

“I think I’d like to snuggle up on the sofa with you and just relax.” Allen murmured, pressing a few more kisses to his head, “Does that sound good darling?”

"Sounds good, I even have a sofa," Sixty replied then smacked a hand against his forehead in embarrassment. Of course he had a sofa, he was a fool for pointing it out. It really seemed that he was unable to function like an everyday human being at this rate.

Allen laughed softly and tilted Sixty’s head up so that he could kiss him properly. “Perfect. Mind if I take you to said sofa?” He said, teasing but clearly not mad at Sixty or really looking down at him for the mistake.

All that accepting sweetness was getting almost too much for Sixty and he had no idea what to do with it. So he chose to try and ignore it, instead, letting Allen take him to the sofa and settled down.

Needing to fidget, he grabbed one of Allen's hands and started slowly rubbing it, thumbs digging into the muscles of his palm and sliding up his lower arm.

Allen let Sixty take his hand and play with it as much as he wanted, sighing happily as those clever fingers massaged into his muscles. Sensing that his boyfriend wasn’t up for talking, Allen instead rubbed slow circles into Sixty’s thigh with his free hand. He wanted to offer at least a little physical comfort.

Subconsciously, Sixty shifted, letting his legs fall open in invitation for Allen's wandering hand. He didn't even think about it, too focused on the hand between his fingers.

"I honestly thought I was over these stupid blackouts by now. I'm really sorry," he finally mumbled, eyes fixed on Allen's hand.

Allen definitely noticed the leg opening for him like an invitation. He kept his movements slow and steady as his hand worked into the inside of Sixty’s thigh, following his lead.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Allen replied, “I was worried, sure, but it’s nothing you have to apologize for.”

The hand on the inside of Sixty's thigh felt nice and he squirmed to get more of the touch. It was reassuring, heat from Allen's hand seeping through his clothes.

"I still feel silly now for getting into that state over such a silly thing. Should have had a better handle on things."

Sixty sighed and finally peered up at Allen, risking being able to not just see the emotions on his face but also be read himself.

Allen didn’t move his hand too far in, avoiding actually brushing against Sixty’s crotch. But the touch was intimate, and the movement continuous and reassuring in a way. He wasn’t going anywhere, and he wanted to be here.

Allen was looking down at Sixty with understanding. “I probably could have handled it better too.” He admitted, “I went into it with a lot of preconceived notions that ended up hurting you.”

Curiosity stilled Sixty's hand for a moment.

"Preconceived notions?" He couldn't fathom what Allen had assumed and part of him really wanted to know, even if he was scared of the answer.

“Just that like...you’d react certain ways. That you’d want space after an argument, or that you’d be okay with me voicing my concerns in a certain way.” Allen tried to explain without mentioning specifics because he didn’t want to trigger Sixty into overthinking the whole thing again.

A soft "oh" was all Sixty could offer to that. He didn't know whether that was how most people reacted or if that was Allen's preferred outcomes. Love certainly made things a lot more complex. In the end, all he had to go on were his own experiences and what he preferred.

"I don't mind you voicing concerns," he swallowed thickly, "but I don't like trying to guess why you're feeling a certain way. Tell me why I fucked up and I can work on changing that but don't make me try to figure it out on the spot."

He hoped it made sense, that Allen would be willing to work with him. What Sixty really didn't need was another Elijah in his life.

Allen nodded, replying “Yeah, I won’t do it again, promise. For me it was an honest attempt to figure out what your assessment was, but if it upsets you that much...” He wanted to make sure that Sixty knew he was serious about not repeating this mistake.

“Is there anything else that upsets you during an argument?” Allen asked, still very serious.

Oddly, Sixty wasn't anticipating Allen taking it to heart so much. So he was silent for a minute, trying to figure out his answer. While his brain was occupied, he idly started rubbing Allen's hand again.

"Being asked to figure out my own punishment. If something deserves punitive measures, I can deal with that but don't make me pick out what?" He turned it into a question, suddenly uncertain what Allen's reaction to that would be.

Allen frowned, taken aback by Sixty’s next request. Or rather, the thought that his boyfriend expected him to deal out punishment. He had been in vindictive relationships before, where one person would sulk or refuse to cooperate as a sort of ‘punishment’ but never anything more than that.

“Sixty I’m...I don’t think I’m ever going to want to punish you for anything.” Allen said slowly, “Maybe there would be things we both agree to change or avoid after a fight, but never a punishment.”

"Is punishment not normal?" The question slipped out before Sixty had a chance to hold it in check. He clamped a hand over his mouth, wishing he could stuff the words back and swallow them down.

“Oh...oh darling.” Allen murmured holding him closer, “No. I’m so sorry you’ve had to endure that kind of reality.” He felt terrible, knowing that Sixty has been expecting punishment from his boyfriend. From anyone who loved him.

Shrugging, Sixty tried to play it off.

"I didn't know any better so it's not like I felt I was being cheated out of anything."

He idly traced a vein down Allen's arm, trying his hardest not to prickle at feeling so vulnerable. A mantra of "it's okay" kept repeating in his mind. If Allen said he wasn't going to punish him then he wasn't. He'd never lied before and Sixty had no reason to doubt him. Then again, never before had Sixty had a meltdown like that in front of him, that might be a game changer.

“Still doesn’t make it right. Or mean I don’t want to make you feel safe here instead.” Allen insisted gently. He pressed a few kisses to Sixty’s temple, watching his face to make sure that he wasn’t going into shock again or getting upset.

"What was your childhood like?" Sixty was desperate to find a different topic, one that would suitably distract and turn the conversation to something hopefully happier. If there wasn't anything Allen wanted to pry about, Sixty wasn't going to wallow in memories.

Allen blinked at the sudden topic change, but he couldn’t say he was surprised Sixty was making the attempt. “Um. Pretty boring, or so I’ve been told.” He explained, “I was an only child, I was pretty studious...my parents were the sort of sideline thumbs up sort of people.” He chuckled at memories of many a sports game with his parents sitting patiently and quietly in the stands.

That was such a foreign concept to Sixty. He wondered what it might have been like.

"Did they take you home if you didn't win?"

He was curious, trying to imagine what it might have been like, parents who didn't punish, who loved and supported without conditions that needed to be met.

Allen simply nodded, although his heart was squeezing with terrible grief for Sixty. “Yeah, they would give me pointers on how to be better next time, but they always took me home.” He explained softly. Improvement had been the intense focus in the Allen home, but outright punishment was a foreign concept.

Taking a shaky breath, Sixty rested against Allen. Slowly, he mulled over his words.

"There was one time, Connor and I were in the finals of the under 15s chess championships. I beat him, barely. Elijah took me home but wouldn't let Connor in the car. One of the officials brought him back hours later while I was being forced to celebrate my victory. Haven't been able to eat sausage rolls since."

It didn't matter how many tears he'd shed, how much he apologised to Connor for winning, for forcing him to be left behind. The crying never changed anything but it still hurt to think about it. The image of Connor staring after the car while Sixty looked out the back window, feeling guilty for winning haunted him.

“Fuck” Allen swore quietly under his breath. He wanted to know about what was important to Sixty, about what made him tick, but this was all horrific. He was squeezing Sixty tighter, he realized, and relaxed his grip.

“I’m so sorry Sixty, that’s fucked up. I want to go find this guy and beat the shit out of him.” He admitted, a frown creasing his face together.

Reaching up, Sixty tried to smooth the frown from Allen's face.

"Sorry, I probably shouldn't have told you that. It can't be changed so there's no point wailing about it." He huffed out a humourless laugh. "And I wouldn't bother beating up Elijah. He's not worth your time."

Closing his eyes, Sixty wondered whether he'd said too much. He really shouldn't have talked about his past, it never led to anything good. And he couldn't even claim in defence that Allen had asked. Selfishly, Sixty had opened his mouth without permission and spouted crap that really wasn't necessary.

"You're welcome to tell me anything." Allen reassured him, trying to obey as Sixty stroked at his face, but only managing to change from 'angry frown' to 'worried frown'. 

"I can't say I'll know what to do to make it better, but I'll always listen." Allen added in a softer voice. His hands soothed across Sixty's back as he thought about this situation.

"But I'm not some charity case to whine 'woe is me' and be pitied."

Sixty pushed to stand from Allen, looking for something to do. He glanced around and decided they needed more blankets.

"If you ever have any questions, I'll answer them but I will try not to harp on about shitty childhoods any more."

Allen shook his head, saying “You’re the furthest from a charity case I know.” He did pity Sixty, but he’d never admit it. That seemed like a bad move. He let his boyfriend go when he stood up, but he didn’t like it.

Shrugging, Allen said “Whatever makes you most comfortable. I don’t have many questions.”

Throws in hand, Sixty flopped back down onto the sofa, fussing them until he was satisfied they were both thoroughly covered.

"Ask anything you want. I'm just conscious that life moves on and wallowing in the past has never done anyone any good. Don't want to become one of those people who can only ruminate on the shit from the past."

Sixty knew he was being a bit gruff, brushing things off. But once again he didn't know how else to deal with things, uncertain if he could manage with all the emotions it might bring up.

Allen didn’t know how to explain how little he actually wanted to interrogate Sixty about his childhood. It was clearly traumatic, and he didn’t really think discussing it was a good idea. Maybe what they needed was a good grounding in the present. 

Pulling Sixty in closer, Allen cupped his face with both hands and kissed him slowly. Hoping his physical touch would say what his words couldn’t right now.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to look up, as Sixty contemplates how far they've come together

The kiss was unexpected but so very welcome. It was so much easier to navigate than words. Easing into it, Sixty sighed, opening up for Allen and letting his focus single in on his boyfriend's lips against his.

Pulling Allen closer, Sixty let a hint of the desperation he felt bleed into the kiss, seeking the reassurance he couldn't verbally ask for.

Now that he was more relaxed and had a meal and a real conversation in him, Allen was much more into the idea of making out with his boyfriend. And if this was what would help them both relax, where was the harm in that?

Allen controlled the kiss again, reacting to the gentle tugging from Sixty by licking into his mouth, deepening the kiss gladly.

Relaxing into the kiss, Sixty let his eyes slip shut and melt into the touch. He let his hands roam over Allen's chest, one hand ending up over his heart while the other settled on his waist.

Breaths started coming heavier as Sixty let himself enjoy the depth of the kiss, opening up obediently for Allen. His cock was starting to fill out despite having come not so long ago and his hole twinged from their earlier play.

Allen let out a pleased hum as the kiss began to heat up, his own hands feeling down Sixty's chest and landing on his hips where they started to massage little circles. His own cock was beginning to take interest, pulse quickening with each soft touch of his boyfriend's hands.

The need to breathe properly had Sixty breaking away from the kiss, breathing harshly.

"Please can we take this to the bedroom?" He fixed Allen with a hopeful look. Earlier had been good but his boyfriend hadn't seemed entirely into it. At least not the way Sixty had hoped Allen would be. And he did promise to have Allen screaming if he so wanted.

“Absolutely” Allen replied with no hesitation, his own breathing ragged in the silence of the apartment. He was ready to burn off some energy of his own this time, and he was beginning to appreciate how meaningful Sixty thought sex was. It was a reassurance for him, and Allen was ready and willing to give that now.

“Up we get” he said, struggling his way out of the blankets with some effort.

Perhaps all those throws and bundling up hadn't been a good idea. But Sixty didn't think ahead at the time, hadn't considered that they would go much beyond cuddling. It took a moment to wriggle free but then he was released and could grab his boyfriend's hand to rush them both towards the bedroom.

Allen let Sixty lead the way, but once they were in the bedroom he all but pounced on his boyfriend, letting them both tumble onto the mattress. “You’re so fucking gorgeous” he murmured, admiring Sixty with a terribly fond smile.

The pounce and tumble had Sixty gasping in surprise but he forcibly relaxed under Allen until he truly could let go again. The praise certainly helped and he gently wrapped around Allen.

"Well, you are gorgeous and I hope to do some kind of fucking with you, so hell yeah," Sixty laughed. He squirmed under the praise, trying to find a way out. It was time to turn the tables. "You know, I'm incredibly lucky to have someone so handsome, kind and caring. Perfectly imperfect, almost as if you were made for me."

Allen simply beamed down at Sixty as he tried to deflect the praise. He wasn’t going to let that trip him up, instead gratefully accepting the compliments with a kiss on the forehead and a murmur of “thank you darling.”

Now that they were on the bed, Allen had to consider what they were going to do. With the abuse he had visited on Sixty’s hole he was hesitant to suggest fucking him, but he supposed he should just ask. “What do you want now? Tell me so I can spoil you again properly” he purred.

Choice back to Sixty, he shuddered. There were so many options, ideas that cycled through his mind. In such a state, choosing was not his strong point. Keeping it broad, Sixty pulled at Allen.

"I want you to use me." That left it all open to Allen, whether he had Sixty bending over for him or riding him, it was all his choice.

Allen pressed himself flush to Sixty, easily following wherever his boyfriend wanted to lead him. “You sure? You’re not too sore?” He murmured, wanting to make sure that he wasn’t about to injure Sixty because he didn’t know how to set limits.

"I want you," Sixty insisted. He wanted whatever Allen would give him. Shifting around, Sixty rolled onto his front, glancing over his shoulder.

"Is this how you want me?"

Allen hummed thoughtfully as he considered his options. “Yeah, that’s good. I’m gonna use my mouth if that’s alright?” He said, realizing that if he wanted to open Sixty up slowly he may as well have some fun with it.

Heart thumping in his chest, Sixty nodded, a soft whimper in his throat. He dropped his head down onto his arms, waiting for Allen to do whatever he wanted.

"I'm yours," he promised.

“I’ll take care of you then.” Allen replied, smiling softly even though he knew Sixty couldn’t see him. He made himself comfortable between Sixty’s legs, stripping off his pants and underwear and settling in. Allen massaged at Sixty’s ass with his hands first - to loosen him up and also test how sore he was.

The hands on his backside were a little tender but Sixty sighed into it. Somehow, the soreness was welcome, an atonement for all his emotional overreactions of the day and the pleasure was a benediction. So he pressed back into the touch, hole still a little loose from their earlier play. Sixty was eager to feel Allen's mouth on him.

Emboldened by Sixty’s positive reaction to that first pressure, Allen settled down closer. Holding Sixty open with his hands he licked a broad swipe across his hole, breath hot across the already abused flesh.

Breath catching in Sixty's throat, he squeezed his eyes shut and bit down on his lips. He wanted to beg Allen, to plead for more. However, he was Allen's to do with as he pleased. In the end, Sixty settled on pushing back into the warm touch and hoping Allen would understand.

Allen wasn't going to rush, but he didn't want to tease - Sixty had been through enough already today. He sunk his tongue into Sixty's hole, slowly working him open. It was incredibly satisfying to feel his boyfriend's body relax and hear the little catches in his breath.

As Allen's tongue pressed into him, Sixty's mind blanked. It felt incredible, not just the way he was being opened up but also each puff of warm, wet breath against his skin. One hand reached behind him to grip Allen's hand on his hip. That small connection was grounding, leaving him tethered but afloat at the same time.

Allen smiled as he felt Sixty reach back to hold his hand. That was reassuring, and it spurred him on to continue with enthusiasm. He alternated thrusting his tongue in and out with running slow circles around the rim, aiming to reduce Sixty to as much of a mess as he could manage.

Clinging to Allen's hand, Sixty buried his face in the crook of his elbow. Each time Allen circled his rim, it twinged with echoes of pain, reminding him that he had taken four fingers with not quite enough prep earlier. That didn't stop him from getting hard, cock bobbing between his legs whenever Allen licked into him.

It was not enough though, Sixty wanted more. He squeezed Allen's hand and pulled it forward, hoping to urge him closer, to drape over his back and fuck him properly.

Allen was getting hard just from the enjoyment of pleasuring Sixty, feeling him squirm and breathe harder at every new flick of his tongue. He was starting to get impatient himself now, grinding slowly against the mattress to get some friction on his slowly filling cock.

Sitting back, Allen murmured “I’m gonna finish stretching you with my fingers before I fuck you” It was meant to be a heads-up but it came out more like dirty talk as he reached for the lube.

"Yes," Sixty hissed, ready for anything Allen would give him. His mind was blissfully blank. "Tell me more." He was pleading, little whines just about caught in his throat but he fought down the urge to be silent in favour of begging Allen to tell him what else he could do to him.

Coating his fingers in lube, Allen continued to speak in that low, authoritative voice, describing how he was going to open up Sixty and fuck him until he couldn’t think at all any more - until he wouldn’t need to think except about how good he felt. As Allen narrated, he slipped the first few fingers in, keeping the process slow and steady this time.

There was definitely still a bite of pain but Sixty reveled in it. He pressed back against Allen's hand with soft moans. The way Allen's low voice described what he was going to do filled him with desperate need. He wanted more, needed anything and everything Allen could and would give him.

“Oh baby, you sound so beautiful when you moan.” Allen purred, working Sixty up to three fingers. He pumped them in and out slowly, crooking them to try and find that sweet spot before his self control ran out and he just started railing his boyfriend.

Angling his hips, Sixty helped his boyfriend find the right spot and cried out in pleasure.

"Again, please" he gasped, steadily rocking back onto the fingers in him. His hole felt sloppy and loose, three fingers making his muscles quiver as he danced at the edge of too much.

“Anything you want” Allen soothed, repeating the motion while his free hand gripped at Sixty’s hips. He was perfectly angled to just slide into that nice open hole as soon as he decided. All he had to do was slick himself up.

The teasing was getting too much and Sixty whimpered.

"I need more. I need you," he cried, hoping Allen would take mercy on him. His whole body was strung tight, on edge but nowhere near enough to topple into bliss. It was frustrating but perfect at the same time.

“Need you too” Allen half growled, losing all his patience at the sound of that sweet voice. Pulling his fingers out, it didn’t take long to slick up his cock and slowly slide into Sixty. Allen groaned as he bottomed out, tensing his muscles to keep from immediately starting to thrust.

It hurt and Sixty bucked away from the sensation before pushing back down even as he clenched around Allen's cock. He wrapped a hand around his own erection, letting pain and pleasure bleed into one.

"Move goddamnit," he growled, peering over his shoulder. "Fuck me hard."

This was probably the most demanding he had been but if his boyfriend didn't move, Sixty was going to be more than annoyed. The pleasure from Allen's tongue and fingers had been driving him wild but he didn't appreciate the pause. To entice Allen, Sixty tried to rock back a little while tightening up around him.

Allen hissed as Sixty clenched around him, the sensation almost overwhelming. He wasn’t sure he was a big fan of how hard Sixty was pushing them both tonight - emotional baggage or no. But this was not the right time to stop and have a conversation about that. 

His hands landed on Sixty’s hips and gripped hard, essentially pinning him in place. “Someone’s needy” Allen huffed, but he still began thrusting into his boyfriend, pace quickening fast.

A sharp cry was punched out of Sixty as Allen finally started moving. His hole was tender and the pace Allen set was unforgiving. The hands on his hips held Sixty in place so he was helpless to do anything but take what his boyfriend gave. It was bliss.

Mind blanking out, Sixty whined as his arm gave out under him, crashing his shoulder into the mattress.

"Don't stop. Please don't stop," he gasped, arching his back and trying to help Allen angle his thrust. The hand around his cock was all but forgotten in the face of everything else.

A part of Allen felt terrible over how he was treating Sixty. He seemed to be in pain, and pushing himself further than Allen would have liked. But at the same time, he was begging verbally and physically for more. So it couldn’t be all bad, could it?

Obeying his pleas, Allen started chasing his own pleasure, using his grip on Sixty’s hips to pull him flush with every thrust. He was snapping his own hips forward to match, setting a quick and brutal pace.

There was no room for Sixty to think. All he could focus on was Allen and the physical sensations rocking through his body. A litany of small "yes" and "please" was all he could manage.

Sixty couldn't hold back, he was close already, cock leaking all over his hand as Allen got the angle just right. He was coming before his mind ever caught up with it, a few tears of relief escape along with it all.

"Don't stop," he panted, every nerve alight in his body and screaming it was too much. But he wanted it all. The oversensitivity driving and thought from his mind, the pleasure toppling into jolts of pain in the best of ways. Sixty worked his spent cock in time with Allen's thrusts.

Allen felt Sixty tense under him as he came, and praised him as best he could through the orgasm. He was so gorgeous like this, and Allen panted out his thoughts between jolting thrusts. 

He was dimly aware that this could  _ not _ be good for Sixty’s body, but he was too close himself to stop now, not with Sixty begging him to keep going. It only took a few more thrusts for him to come, draping over his boyfriends back as he buried himself deep inside.

Boneless, Sixty let Allen finish and whimpered a little when he pulled out. His whole body was throbbing. It took him several tries to work out a soft "oh fuck" as he collapsed to the side, pulling Allen on top of him.

Allen slowly came back to himself, half laying across his boyfriend. The little exclamation of pain worried him, and he focused on Sixty, mumbling out a “You okay?” His whole body felt loose and amazing, but he was still focused on Sixty.

"I'm alright," Sixty replied, his tongue heavy in his mouth. And he was. Mostly.

Body still trying to catch up and reboot, Sixty lay boneless under his boyfriend. It was absolute bliss, having nothing but the pleasure and pain to keep his attention.

"You alright?"

Allen was definitely making an effort to regain motor function sooner rather than later. He rolled off of Sixty to gather him up in his arms, pressing sloppy kisses across his neck and chest. 

“I feel amazing” Allen murmured, “But seriously, I didn’t hurt you? It sounded like I did.”

The urge to lie, to say it was fine was strong. But Sixty wasn't sure Allen would accept his concern being brushed off with a blatant lie. Not when he could feel his hole leaking and it was stinging. Sitting was going to be a bitch for a few days.

"I've done worse with toys before," was what he settled on saying. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't an outright admission either. And Allen didn't need to know that the ‘worse’ had been a long time ago, when he was learning what his body was capable of, pushing his own boundaries and not always safely.

Allen’s face morphed into a concerned frown at that admission. “Oh Sixty...” he sighed, hugging him tighter, “I’m sorry I hurt you. I should have stopped when I got worried.” Allen felt awful but he could feel Sixty relaxed in his arms and took what comfort he could from that.

"Nothing to be sorry for, it was exactly what I asked for," Sixty shrugged. "It will give me something to remember your care by for the next couple of days."

It was the truth, this way, whenever Sixty's muscles twinged, it would be a reminder that Allen cared, enough to give him what he asked for. A physical symbol that someone did give a damn about him who wasn't a blood relative.

"I guess the main thing to ask is, did you enjoy it too?"

Allen sighed, trying to reassure himself. He hadn’t hurt Sixty on purpose, and his boyfriend wasn’t upset about it. He looked up at Sixty when asked, thinking for a few moments before he replied. 

“I did enjoy myself.” He admitted, “Being with you, it’s hot, I had an amazing orgasm. I can’t claim to understand why you’d want to be in pain to remember I care about you, but...as long as you’re okay and not pushing too far I’ll do whatever you want.

A little bashful, Sixty shied away from Allen's gaze. He went sure how to explain.

"Sometimes a bit of pain is good. Only in very specific situations and very specific pain." He hoped it was explanation enough. Once Allen didn't look like he was going to bolt, Sixty was going to quietly excuse himself to the bathroom and check whether he had managed to do any serious damage or not. The way it was stinging didn't bode well but he likely didn't fuck up majorly - that hurt a hell of a lot more.

“I trust you.” Allen said simply, “I’m new to anything but real vanilla stuff, but I trust you.” He hoped that they would be able to do this again sometime when there weren’t so many mixed up emotions on the line, so he could be more calm about it.

“Want to clean up?” Allen eventually asked, feeling the sticky mess between them starting to cool.

They really were a bit of a mess and Sixty wrinkled his nose as a little more come slipped out of his hole.

"You're new to anything beyond vanilla, I'm new to involving someone else in anything. We make quite the pair."

With a breathless groan he got up. Walking was also going to be an interesting affair. However, he was determined to put on a brave face and not let on to Allen just how much he was hurting. It was his own stupid doing and it was still easier to deal with than the emotional shit of that morning.

"Can I get you anything while you clean up?""

“Let’s clean up together” Allen suggested. He liked taking care of Sixty any time they had sex, but especially now he wanted to follow up and make sure he was okay. 

Allen sat up and stood up off the bad, walking up next to Sixty and wrapping an arm around his waist. “Allow me to escort you” he joked, but he was using it to hide the fact that he wanted to make sure his boyfriend didn’t like, keel over or anything.

The walk to the bathroom was with gritted teeth but Sixty was proud of the fact he didn't limp horribly. Even more so than managing not to grimace at how things were trickling down the backs of his thighs.

"I can do this by myself if it disgusts you," he offered in a last ditch attempt to spare Allen. If there was even a hint of blood then it was going to be a whole new and long conversation Sixty wasn't in the mood for. He cursed internally at how difficult relationships were. They came with incredible highs but also were hard work and stressful as fuck. He wondered how Nines seemed to make it so easy with Gavin.

Allen shushed Sixty gently, insisting “I don’t find any part of you disgusting. We had sex, there’s going to be cum in places. And besides, I just had my mouth on your ass, so...” He was chalking a lot of this hesitation up to Sixty never having had sex with another person, so he wanted to reassure him as much as possible.

Grabbing a washcloth, Allen asked “want to take a proper bath? Or just wipe down?”

A bath didn't sound too appealing so Sixty shook his head.

"A wipe down if it's enough? I was just going to shower quickly to be honest."

Sex and relationships really were a lot of effort. Sixty wondered why anyone would want to put so much into something with him, especially when he came with so much drama. Given Allen's reaction to a lot of things, it was becoming more and more apparent that Sixty wasn't exactly normal. Which...he kind of already knew but it hurt to have it be so blatantly in his face. Despite their declarations of love, Sixty couldn't help but think whether it would be kinder to let Allen go.

Allen nodded, smiling as he got the washcloth wet and handed it over. Sixty seemed a little on edge and he didn’t want to push him, so both cleaning up at the same time seemed like a good compromise. He reached for a cloth himself and started to wipe off some of the cum and sweat.

Allen’s head was mostly free of worries - he’d have to think about boundaries during sex later, but for now he was so tired he figured it could wait. He was honestly just happy Sixty was back to normal and they had talked through the big problem of the day

Meanwhile, Sixty's head was spinning a mile a minute. He couldn't quite figure out why Allen would want to still be here after all this time. Grimacing at the washcloth, he listlessly scrubbed at his skin.

In the end, he turned to Allen and wrapped his arms around him. "I still don't understand why you stay. And really selfishly, I don't want to let you go."

Allen was surprised when Sixty suddenly turned and clung to him, but he wasn’t upset over the sudden hug. He managed to get his arms free and into a returning hug, squeezing Sixty close. 

“I stay because I love you and I enjoy our time together.” He said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Sometimes the simplest things were the most difficult to believe. Sixty clung to Allen, water cascading over them. It soothed his muscles, gave his much needed time to just be, appreciating how strong Allen felt against him.

Timidly, he finally mustered up the courage to admit his stupidity. "I think I over did it a bit."

Allen wished in moments like this that he was a bit bigger. That it could be Sixty’s head pillowed on his chest and not the other way around. But he did what he could, just holding his boyfriend close and letting the shower wash over them. 

“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Allen asked softly. It was almost a relief to hear Sixty admit it.

There wasn't really much to be done. Maybe some cream to sooth things for a bit but otherwise rest and time would heal. Much like with a lot of other wounds. After all, Elijah had always said that doctors were only there to entertain patients while time and nature did their thing.

"Just some cream and probably check that nothing actually is bleeding," he mumbled. "But really it's just letting things settle. Pain is just weakness leaving the body after all, isn't it?"

Sixty's joke fell a bit flat and he sighed. He never did have what most called a sense of humour, let alone a good one.

“That I can help with” Allen confirmed, his tone still calm and reassuring. Injuries he could deal with, even if this one was going to make him feel guilty for a while. Applying cream to his boyfriends hole after they fucked too hard wasn’t exactly ideal. 

When Sixty joked like that, Allen chuckled and pulled back to look up at him. “You’re really gonna fit in with the team. That’s a favorite phrase on the squad.”

The mention of Allen's team sent a spike of nerves through Sixty but he tamped it down. His boyfriend had made an effort when it came to Sixty's brothers, it was only right he made the same effort towards Allen's family.

"I shouldn't be surprised, should I?" he muttered. "This is the SWAT team after all."

It was only as he said it that he was struck with the odd realisation that Allen was SWAT. He knew it all along but all of a sudden it was screaming in his face. Because while he liked to pretend SWAT were just a bunch of muscle clad idiots, they were highly trained specialists with very dangerous jobs. And his boyfriend was their captain. Sixty pulled back to look over Allen in wonder with new eyes and a newfound appreciation.

Allen watched the gears turning in Sixty’s head with interest - it was always so obvious when he was getting lost in his own head, but it was honestly really cute. Giving Sixty a few moments of staring, Allen finally stood up on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Whatcha thinkin about?” He asked with a fond chuckle, “If you’re worried about the squad, don’t be. They’ll still be overly enthusiastic about your training, even if we have to reschedule.”

Worry about the training thing was the furthest from Sixty's mind and he couldn't help the small scoff.

"They watched me be a little shit to you, I can't imagine they'll be enamoured with me. We'll do the training as soon as we can." He peered down at Allen, trying to figure out the right way the phrase things. "I was just thinking about SWAT - you're not just a bunch of muscle bound idiots. And I don't think I ever really appreciated that before."

His hands were moving over Allen's damp skin, running over the muscles of his arms and back, feeling them shift. Sixty closed his eyes and sighed, trying to follow the lines of tattoos from memory.

Allen shrugged, replying "Yeah, they're probably gonna be a little pissy. But they tried to set us back up in the training gym, so they haven't given up on you." He knew the team was overly protective at times - hell, he was overprotective of them too. But they could tell when he was actually in love, and they wouldn't fuck that up.

Sixty's next statement surprised Allen, especially with the amount of earnest awe contained in it. It made his heart beat faster in his chest, the feeling of those fingers running across his skin warm and comforting. "We work hard at our job, just like everyone else." He murmured in reply, "I'm glad you have a new appreciation for that."

Despite wanting to be better, Sixty knew he had a lot of prejudices and preconceptions against SWAT and it was mostly thanks to the narrative he had given Allen as a rival rider rather than anything else. Shame wasn't something Sixty felt often but in that moment it cut through him keenly.

"I'll do my best to remember that. I think I have a lot of un-learning to do. Sorry."

He picked up the body wash and began to work it gently over Allen's skin, paying special attention to the more dirty areas of skin.

Allen sighed happily as Sixty washed him, feeling all the remaining tension bleed out of his body. “I appreciate that, so much” he said, leaning in and pressing kisses along Sixty’s chest in return.

“I want to help the morgue start getting more credit for all the work it does.” Allen added, “I know that my team as well as most others don’t know how much you do.” He felt bad that it had taken him so long to realize this problem, but better late than never.

Truthfully, nobody went into Sixty's line of work for the glamour. If anything, people went there to hide from the world at large.

"It's not something you need to do. I don't think anyone who works there actually wants recognition. And what could we bitch about if that was taken away from us anyway?"

Slowly, he sank down to his knees with grunt and started washing Allen's legs, paying special attention to rubbing the muscles of his thighs.

Allen was touched by Sixty’s sudden show of devotion. It was a pleasant change from earlier today, when Sixty had fallen to his knees and made Allen’s heart stop with horror. 

“Well I’d like to make sure my team at least knows what you do.” Allen said, watching Sixty with a soft smile on his face. He wished he could reach down and pet Sixty’s hair, but didn’t want to freak him out by accident.

Seeing the aborted move to reach for him, Sixty took a steadying breath and grabbed Allen's hand. He guided it to his hair and firmly put it there.

"I trust you. Just don't grab or pull it."

Sixty looked back down to where his hands had been with hardened focus. He wasn't going to let on just how hard his heart was beating. At least he was honest, he did trust Allen but it didn't mean he could control how his body reacted.

Allen wished there was a way he could express how much this meant to him, but he didn’t want to risk getting too mushy. Instead, he ever so gently pet over Sixty’s wet hair, keeping his touch light and slow.

“Your hair is so soft.” Allen said, “I love how it feels.”

It had never occurred to Sixty just how nice having his hair stroked could feel. He pressed up into the hand timidly, hoping he wasn't pushing for too much.

"You're always allowed to touch. Anywhere." That was all he could say before the words clamouring in his throat clogged everything until his emotions could settle a little.

Whatever peace he might have been settling into was ruined by a sharp knock on the bathroom door.

"Sixty? You okay?" Nines didn't sound particularly worried or rushed.

Allen smiled wider as Sixty pushed up into his hand. “And I’ll always make sure it’s okay before I touch” he reassured Sixty, wanting to establish boundaries no matter how much it warmed his heart to be trusted by his boyfriend to that degree. 

Allen had just relaxed into a nice rhythm working his hands over Sixty’s head when the knock on the door startled him. His hand stilled as he listened, relaxing as Nines’ voice carried through into the bathroom. “We’re both fine” Allen called back, “Just cleaning up.”

With Nines there, Sixty was keen to get out of the bathroom and see his brother. He made quick work of helping Allen rinse off then put to use his old army skills and was done in under a minute.

Getting out was a bit of a strain and he hissed but didn't let it hinder him. He passed Allen a towel then grabbed one for himself.

Almost falling out of the bathroom, he remembered to send Allen a rueful grin before stepping out to see his brother. Who sent him a knowing look.

"Go get some clothes on and sit down in the living room. Your boyfriend is going to come help me make drinks in the kitchen when he's more decent." Leaving no room for 

arguing, Nines stalked towards the kitchen.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stern brother #3 enters the scene, with yet more advice and opinions for Allen

Allen wasn't exactly happy with having their nice relaxing shower cute short, especially since that meant he wasn't able to check Sixty over and put some cream on his injury. But at least it wasn't Connor. "Be careful," Allen murmured, steadying Sixty as he stumbled, concern clear on his face. He toweled himself off and followed his boyfriend out into the bedroom with his towel around his waist. He wasn't embarrassed by nudity, not after having showered with the team all the time. "Alright, just wait a moment." Allen said, nodding to Nines as he went to grab some clothes. He was really really hoping this wasn't another argument. He didn't think he had the patience for another one of those.

"Whatever he says, I want to apologise in advance," Sixty grumbled. He passed Allen some of his clothes to wear, comfort winning out over looking presentable. In the kitchen, Nines had pulled three mugs from the kitchen and was waiting for Allen to join him.

Allen pressed a kiss to Sixty's cheek once he was clothed, saying "No worries. I've got this." He didn't want his boyfriend worrying about whatever his brothers were up to this time. Walking into the kitchen, Allen gave Nines a nod as a greeting, saying "What's up?" He didn't want to assume the worst, but this seemed bad.

Giving him a once over, Nines sighed. "Usually I don't stick my nose in Sixty's affairs but please tell me you at least used lube when fucking him. He can barely walk." There was a hint of tired despair in Nines' voice. This wasn't a conversation he particularly wanted to have but seeing the way Sixty had all but limped out of the bathroom, he felt obliged to say something. "Or at least reassure me you know what you're doing when it comes to rough sex."

Allen sighed in return, giving Nines a tired look. "Yes, we did use lube. I'm not a monster." He said, his tone anything but confrontational. He didn't want to throw Sixty under the bus in this situation, but he also didn't want Nines to take it back to Connor that Allen was abusing him. "I know what I'm doing when it comes to sex." Allen reassured him, "Maybe not anything in the BDSM arena, but I'm not inexperienced. I just...over-indulged Sixty today. It's between the two of us." His shoulders slumped, ready for yet another angry tirade.

A hand came up to pinch the bridge of Nines' nose as he fished his phone out of his pocket. "Okay, I know you're not some monster, my brother wouldn't be with you if you were. And Gavin wouldn't call you his best friend either. So," he was typing away on his phone, "I'm sending you some links. Read them, learn from them. Because what you and Sixty did is a little more than overindulge - that's dangerous through inexperience. And the links will cover both sides of play because even if you're just a one way dynamic, you still need to know the other side. Any questions, feel free to come to me or ask Gavin. I'll give him a head up that you might have questions." Phone put away once he sent the promised links, Nines began rummaging in the drawer until he pulled out some cream and a couple of pills. He passed them to Allen before deftly making the three drinks. "Apply the cream liberally. Don't let him play it off as fine and he needs to take the painkillers too. If he doesn't, sit on him and tell him he's being stupid."

Allen was honestly pretty dumbfounded when Nines gave him a lecture that wasn't angry or judgmental. Instead, he seemed to be honestly interested in helping Allen improve. He stood and stared for a good few moments, just blinking at the other man before he gathered the wherewithal to respond. "I...thanks. Seriously. I appreciate the help." Allen said, shooting Nines a grateful smile, "I'll be sure to read this stuff as soon as I can." His ego felt a little bruised from having to learn something new this late in the game, but he would much rather learn than hurt Sixty again. He pocketed the cream and reached his free hand out for one of the drinks.

Drink passed to Allen, Nines nodded at him. "Any time, we all have to start somewhere. It's no bad thing to learn with Sixty, he probably knows the theory but can't apply it to practice. You're well matched." Nines walked through the door with two drinks and handed one to Sixty who was gingerly bundled up on the sofa. He left the seat next to him empty though and settled comfortably on the armchair, letting Allen sit with Sixty. "I hear you've had quite the day," he said watching the two of them.

Allen took that as a compliment, mumbling a soft thanks as they headed into the living room. Settling in next to Sixty, Allen handed him the drink and pain pills, leaning in for a gentle kiss on the cheek. That seemed like an acceptable amount of PDA in front of his brother, right? Allen couldn't help the snort that escaped at Nines' question, saying "That's one way to put it."

"Just a series of misunderstandings," Sixty shrugged it off. Then Allen' words came back to him and he looked a little sheepish. "Sorry if it caused any worry and thank you for your concern." Hearing that had Nines' eyebrows shooting up. It was utterly unlike Sixty to remember his manners like that and he cast a sharp glance at Allen. "Is there anything either of you need that I can help with?" After a moment Sixty shook his head and looked at his boyfriend.

Allen noticed how surprised Nines looked, and he suddenly knew that it wasn't just him that had struggled with this issue in the past. As a reward, he snuggled a little closer to Sixty. He wanted to kiss him properly, but the angle was off, given that both of them were sitting with drinks in their hands. When Nines asked, Allen's first response was to reply 'no' but then he remembered something. "Is there food for dinner in the house?"

A scoff from Sixty set that idea straight. "I may be emotionally stunted but I'm not incompetent. There's stuff in the fridge, enough for us all." His sharp words were countered by pressing back against Allen's snuggle to try and sooth. Unfortunately, the movement made his breath catch in this throat as pain laced through him. "Wonderful, I'll go cook in the kitchen then. And I won't set your toaster on fire this time." Nines stood and left the room. "I won't be back in here for at least half an hour and even then I'll yell before coming in."

Allen didn’t take the snapping to heart. He was starting to be able to tell when Sixty wasn’t serious and was just trying to protect himself. The little gasp of pain made him worry more, honestly. “Thanks, I think we’ll both appreciate not dealing with a fire” Allen replied, chuckling at Nines’ abundance of caution. It was considerate of him, even if it was a little embarrassing. Once his brother was gone, Allen turned to Sixty and asked “How are you feeling?”

"Oh fuck me my arse is sore," Sixty groaned and covered his face. "No. Don't fuck me. Wrong choice of words." He let out a weak chuckle and turned to look at Allen. "You sure you want my dumb ass as your boyfriend?"

Allen snorted at the sudden turnaround on the innuendo, reaching up to ruffle Sixty’s hair playfully in retaliation. “Don’t worry, there will be no fucking for a while.” He reassured his boyfriend, “I love your dumb ass, so now I have to take care of it.”

Oddly, that brought a flustered giggle out of Sixty. He still couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that he had a boyfriend who loved him. It felt beyond the realms of reality somehow. "We can still trade blowjobs and the like, right?" he peered hopefully at Allen. Just because his hole was, quite literally, fucked didn't mean all manner of fun had to be off the table.

Allen grinned when Sixty giggled like that. That was more like it. He was still his old cheeky self, pain and meltdown aside. “We can still do whatever doesn’t cause you any pain.” Allen said, then added more firmly “But I’ve got some reading to do before we do anything else even close to pain play, okay?”

Curious, Sixty regarded Allen with an open expression. "Reading?" He pushed himself upright a little and gritted his teeth. "And who said anything about pain play? Unless you wanted to experiment with it?" The idea of inflicting pain on Allen didn't fill him with joy. As much as he sometimes liked a bit of a sharp bite of pain to his pleasure, Sixty wasn't convinced he could dish it out too.

“I don’t want to fuck up again and hurt you like this.” Allen said, “At least not without knowing ahead of time. Maybe pain play is the wrong word? Clearly I’m a total noob.” He shot his boyfriend a rueful grin at that. “I just realized after today that I need to educate myself if we’re going to keep pushing into territory in the bedroom I’m not familiar with.”

"Should I read up on being in a relationship?" Sixty had meant it as a funny remark but it came out more sarcastic and bitchy. "Sorry," he muttered. "It's good of you to take this so seriously. Maybe I should take a leaf from your book." He glanced around the room, brows furrowed. There was cream in the kitchen that he should probably go and get so he wriggled loose and got up, not sure how to tell Allen where he was going without sounding like he was whining or trying to make him feel bad. "I need something from the kitchen. Back in a tick."

Allen just leaned in and kissed Sixty on the cheek as he kind of deflated after that unfortunate snap. “If you want to you can. I just want to do the best I can for you, and that’s different for everybody.” He reassured his boyfriend. When Sixty got up so abruptly, Allen made an educated guess, pulling the cream out of his pocket and holding it up. “Do you need this? Nines gave it to me earlier.”

That was exactly what Sixty was after and he blushed as he reached for the cream. "What kind of sadist is he, giving the cream to you?" he grumbled. "You don't need to worry about it." Like he was going to make his boyfriend do anything like that. It struck him as selfish and wholly indulgent. Stupid to get used to someone helping when eventually he was going to be on his own again. That thought sobered him up and he looked at Allen, heart squeezing at the thought of eventually having to let Allen go.

Allen pulled the cream back away from Sixty’s grasping hands, shaking his head. “Oh no you don’t. No more deflection today.” He said firmly, “I’m going to help you. That’s what I want to do.” He hoped that maybe framing it that way would make it easier for Sixty to accept the help.

Chances were, Sixty had turned beetroot red at that. He fumbled for the right words and ended up wringing his fingers. "Okay. I mean. If you're sure. But there's really no need. I can do it myself." He was stumbling over words. "For fuck's sake Sixty!" Nines yelled from the kitchen. "Just let your boyfriend look after you. Bend over and take the love like you did his dick." Sixty promptly looked at the floor in the hopes that it would swallow him. He had no such luck.

Allen laughed at the sudden input from nines, but he was flushing in embarrassment at the same time. He could see now how Gavin got along so well with him. They were both very up front with things - no beating about the bush. “C’mere darlin” Allen murmured, standing up and wrapping his arms around Sixty, “let’s go to the bathroom, okay? Some privacy, where I can take care of you.” He didn’t want his boyfriend to get even more upset at this point.

Defeated, Sixty let himself be steered towards the bathroom, walking with the least amount of limping possible. The bathroom door closed behind them and he looked at Allen wide eyed. This was new territory for him and he had no idea what to do. Turn around, shove his pants down and think of England? Or let Allen direct him? He wondered why nowhere he'd read about had detailed the etiquette of such situations. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Nines smirked to himself as he picked up his phone. He had one more link to send Allen.

Allen was similarly lost at sea when it came to how to handle this situation, so he defaulted to something he had done before, when they took the plug out of Sixty that one time. “Would it be comfortable for you to lay across my lap?” Allen asked, “Or would that be too much strain?” He moved to the sink and started washing his hands, both as a health and safety precaution but also to give Sixty some time to consider what he wanted.

It sounded sensible and Sixty nodded hesitantly. His fingers fidgeted with the waistband of his trousers, not sure when to pull them down. The uncertainty was making him tetchy, worried he was going to get something wrong. Even worse, he kept wanting to ask Allen whether he was sure. Because it didn't feel like the kind of thing he should do for Sixty. The whole mess came about because of Sixty's stupidity, he should be the one to suffer the consequences alone. "It would be so much easier if our roles were swapped," he ended up saying. "I could do this for you and not bat an eyelid. Why is it so difficult this way round?"

Allen sat down on the edge of the tub and waited patiently for Sixty. There was no judgement in his gaze as he watched his boyfriend fidget nervously. This had been a rough day for him, it was okay to wait. Allen shrugged when he was questioned, replying “It’s hard to accept help sometimes, even for me. But I’ve spent so long working on a team that I’ve gotten used to it. You’re not, it’s okay.” He didn’t comment on any of Sixty’s more deep seated issues, because that wasn’t his place to pry into.

The worry was that if would only be okay for a short amount of time. There had to be a limit that Allen would hit and leave. It was why Sixty was so keen to ration the kindness he was being shown. Maybe it would mean the limit would be further away and he could keep Allen a little longer. "Okay," Sixty tried to psyche himself up a bit. "I can do this." He pulled his trousers and underwear down, settling over Allen's lap and dipping his head down to hide his face.

If Allen knew what was running through Sixty's head right now, he would probably....either burst into tears or get very angry. The thought that his kindness was a finite resource Sixty would eventually exhaust was extremely troubling. Luckily for both of them, Allen wasn't able to tell that. He sat still until Sixty was settled, then stroked one hand gently down his back to soothe him. "I'm really sorry in advance, this is probably going to hurt." He admitted.

It did hurt but Sixty didn't squirm or make a single sound. He took the pain laced care and breathed through it. Nothing ever lasted longer than a minute so he started counting backwards from 60 in his head, knowing it would be over soon. Once Allen was done, he hastily got up, ignoring the flare of pain. The cream would deal with that in a couple of minutes. Pulling his trousers back up, he offered Allen a tight smile. "Thank you for helping."

Allen would have taken things slower, but Sixty seemed in a hurry to get up, so he accepted it. The weird little smile kind of hurt, if he was being honest, but he hid his reaction and simply stood with a nod. “You’re more than welcome. If you need more, just let me know, okay?” Allen offered, wondering if Sixty would take him up on it or try to sneak away in the middle of the night to do it himself.

"Sure," Sixty was quick to reply, the reassurance hollow as he knew he couldn't ask for help. Not after everything that had happened. He wanted to keep Allen for as long as possible, not tire him out by being needy and clingy all the time. Nobody wanted to date an emotional limpet. "You'll probably want to wash your hands. The cream can just stay by the sink." He hoped the cream would be left there. That Allen wouldn't keep hold of it to ration and control as he pleased. Not that Allen would do that but the spark of fear was still there for Sixty.

“Sure” Allen said, setting the cream down even though he knew he was setting them both up for disappointment later. What was he supposed to do, hold it hostage? His mood rapidly deflating once again, Allen washed his hands thoroughly and turned to the door. He honestly wasn’t sure now if Sixty wanted to be held, which was what  _ Allen _ wanted to do. But instead he was just standing there in the bathroom watching his boyfriend.

A little lost and helpless in his own house, Sixty lingered, not sure what to do. Allen seemed to be getting grumpy with him and he didn't know why. Couldn't figure out what he had done to upset his boyfriend. "I don't know what I've done wrong but I'm sorry?" It came out as a question rather than anything reassuring but Sixty was in uncharted territory here and he really was trying.

Allen sighed when Sixty questioned him outright. He didn’t know what to say in return, shrugging as he eventually admitted “I just wish I didn’t think you were going to sneak around later and avoid asking me for help.” There, he had said it. It was the truth, even if it sounded cruel. “You don’t have to be sorry. But I wish you would trust me to help you.”

The answer left Sixty reeling a little. He couldn't honestly say he would have asked for help later on but it was only because he didn't want to bother Allen. "I-" Words were eluding him and his face was creasing up as he tried to think. "I didn't want to ask for too much. You're already so patient and kind. I didn't want to overstay my welcome." He didn't know if that made sense but it was all he had. Shoulder hunched up, head dipped, wringing his hands a little, Sixty waited for Allen's verdict.

Allen sighed again and acted against his better judgement - walking over to wrap Sixty up in his arms. His heart ached after today, learning so many terrible things about the way his boyfriend viewed the world. He pulled Sixty close and just stood there for a moment, letting them both settle before he spoke again. “You won’t overstay your welcome. I know I can’t prove that, but I promise I’ll tell you if I ever feel like you ask too much” he murmured, “And basic human decency and kindness isn’t anywhere close to too much.”

As the taller one of the two, Sixty felt awkward draping over Allen to accept the hug. But it felt more than nice once he allowed himself to accept it. "No one is kind without expectations. Not in my life." He buried his face against the side of Allen's neck. "I really hope I can learn that it's different when it comes to you."

Allen really wished he were taller, but that just wasn’t going to happen overnight, sadly. He did what he could though, able to wrap himself pretty comfortably around Sixty’s somewhat thinner frame. “I hope so too.” Allen said softly. He didn’t have the heart to comment on the first statement, not today. Not after everything else.

Subdued, Sixty led them out of the bathroom and back to the sofa. He looked between it and Allen, trying to weigh up whether he'd be asking for too much. But then again, Allen did say he would tell Sixty if he asked for too much. "Could I stay close to you?" he asked in the end. Requesting to cuddle felt too demanding, like Allen was giving him even more. But to be allowed close to Allen, maybe lean against him, that sounded like it might be more permissible.

Allen waited as Sixty seemed to struggle between some unseen forces standing in front of the sofa. It was an incredible relief when Sixty actually asked for something, and Allen smiled up at him happily. “I would love that.” He said, sitting down and patting at his lap to indicate that Sixty was welcome anywhere he wanted. Maybe sitting on top of him would be uncomfortable right now, but he wanted to offer.

Pain be damned, Sixty had been given permission to settle on Allen's lap so that was what he was going to do. He gingerly climbed across him, curling up small against his chest, forehead resting against Allen's neck again. "Thank you," he murmured as he slowly relaxed. Limbs heavy, he squirmed a little to get comfortable. When Allen wrapped arms around him, Sixty sighed, "This is nice."

Allen’s mood was improving at a rapid pace now that he had Sixty on his lap. The weight of him was comforting, and the fact that he seemed so happy to be here was even nicer. One of Allen’s hands happily stroked up and down Sixty’s back as he settled in. “It is nice. I like being with you a lot.” Allen replied, smiling and gently leaning his head on top of his boyfriend’s.

It was warm and safe in Allen's arms. Sixty let his eyes slip shut. The whole day had been a clusterfuck from start to finish and his flip flopping with Allen in the afternoon had almost been more exhausting that the incident in the morgue. Feeling heavy and limp, Sixty let himself drift, not quite awake but not asleep yet either. From the kitchen Nines called to say he was coming through and left it a few seconds before stepping into the living room. "That's cute," he declared and grabbed his phone from his pocket to take a picture of Sixty asleep in Allen's arms. It might be something Connor appreciated. And maybe Gavin too.

Allen felt Sixty start to doze off, and that in itself relaxed him as well. His boyfriend needed the rest, and it made Allen feel good to see that he felt safe enough to sleep here. Well, almost sleep, but close enough. When Nines walked in, Allen simply glanced up briefly then went back to happily watching Sixty. He didn’t notice the camera until the picture was taken, resulting in a terribly mushy candid shot of the two of them. “Can you send me that?” Allen asked sheepishly, looking up at Nines and wondering just what was going through his head.

The picture was sent to three different conversations and, on a whim, Nines sent it to Sixty as well. Grabbing a throw, Nines covered the two up and smiled before sitting down at a respectable distance. "In all honesty, how are you holding up?" His voice was low as to not disturb his brother. But he also wanted a private conversation with Allen, make sure that in the madness that was the life of a Stern brother, he wasn't left emotionally pin wheeling and unmoored.

Allen murmured his thanks for the picture and the throw, snuggling himself and Sixty properly under it. This felt like the first time all day that he was able to breathe, and he enjoyed the moment for a little bit before looking over at Nines to answer. "I'm worn out." Allen admitted quietly, "And I feel like I'm floundering a bit. But I'm...okay. Holding it together." That was the honest truth, given more freely because he felt much less judgement from Nines.

Throwing his brother a look to make sure he was properly asleep, Nines sighed. When he'd had the call from Connor to say that Sixty had been taken hostage, he was ready to swoop in with the FBI if he had to. Only to then be told that Sixty dealt with the situation in the most Sixty like way and was causing trouble by himself. Which landed him in another episode, and a bad one by the sounds of it. "I can't really blame you," he ended up telling Allen. "The first time I saw Sixty like that, I freaked the fuck out. Didn't know what to do, Connor had no clue what to do either. We were on the verge of taking him to a hospital when he snapped out of it, told us nothing was wrong and laughed it all off. It took us a while to figure out what brought them on. But he's been doing so much better recently." Reaching over, he brushed the cowlick from Sixty's forehead and grinned when it stubbornly flopped back, as it always did. "He's lucky to have you. And when he's feeling better, he'll likely try to make up for all the shit he's put your through. Not that he'd ever tell you that."

For the first time today, Allen felt as if he were understood. There was no weird undertone of judgement, no sense that Nines thought he should have handled things better. This was normal, to be overwhelmed when your boyfriend went comatose. He sighed, some of the tension smoothing out of his face. "I'm...glad it wasn't just me that panicked. I felt like I was totally out of my element." Allen admitted, "I'm not used to Sixty behaving like that, and I'll admit I was a little selfishly angry about his reaction when SWAT busted in to 'save' him." Hearing that Sixty would try to make it up to him made Allen smile just a tiny bit. "I don't really...need him to make it up. I just really can't stand the fact that he won't let me help him. Thinks he doesn't deserve it or some shit."

Allen had truly hit the nail on the head there. The word 'deserve' had been one to haunt the brothers long into adulthood. It had taken Nines a long time, even with therapy, to learn that it wasn't as charged and filthy a word as he had been taught. It could bring positives and not be a measure of worth or accomplishment, nor was it a measure of punishment. "Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind and not let him have the option of rejecting your help. Why do you think Connor and I barge in here without a seeming thought for Sixty's wishes?" He chuckled bitterly at the thought. "And it's not selfish to be angry. From what Connor told me, Sixty was being an ass, even if he didn't see it that way. To him it probably felt like he was trying to dissipate worry from everyone and make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. He doesn't think he deserves to be worried about."

Allen groaned softly, saying “I know. But I hate being the bad guy. It just feels bad, especially after a long day of ordering around the team.” He would do it if he had to, but he wished he didn’t. It seemed like that was going to be his fate though, unfortunately. When Nines straight up said it wasn’t selfish to be angry, a weight lifted off Allen’s chest that he didn’t realize he had been weighing in him. It felt less like he was the monster in this situation, which had been dragging at his mood all afternoon. “I...yeah. I’m starting to realize just how fucked his view of the world is.” Allen admitted, then added softly “Thanks. For the reassurance. There was a lot of guilt on my end today.”

A lot of what Nines could say revolved around sex bit he spared Allen the notion of power play and the dynamics they could experiment with. He would figure it out from the links Nines had sent him anyway. "It's not always about ordering people around. Shoving a fruit into someone's hand or passing them a new book while talking to them is just as much care. And good luck ordering Six around." Nines laughed a little at the notion. "He values control too much but will relinquish it for the right person." A small part of Nines felt bad for Allen. He had probably assumed he was going to get a fiery boyfriend. And now he was lumped with a bundle of unresolved issues surrounded by fiercely protective family. That was a bit of an unfair assessment of Sixty and Nines chastised himself for being so harsh. In the end, he offered Allen a smile. "You did nothing wrong. Connor already told me that you feel pretty rotten. But as he said, just a bad consequence of events and you're not responsible for any of it." "He's right," Sixty suddenly joined in, voice thick with sleep. "Not your fault. But thank you for picking up the pieces."

“It’s just a struggle.” Allen said with a small shrug, “I’ve never had a boyfriend like this before.” His previous relationships had been much more low key - less emotional connection and more comfortable cohabitation. Allen had certainly never known what to expect when he started dating Sixty. They had started out as rivals turned fuckbuddies, then become boyfriends, and now he was dealing with the real Sixty now that he wasn’t putting up a front. Allen didn’t regret a minute of it, but he wasn’t above admitting that was a little swept off his feet. At least now he felt like he had one ally in this family. Allen opened his mouth to reply, then shut it when Sixty spoke up. He felt bad for talking about his boyfriend while he could hear. He squeezed him a little tighter, muttering “You shouldn’t have to thank me for that.”

"I can and I will." Sixty twisted to stick his tongue out at Allen before settling back. "And don't mind me, I'll just go back to sleep. If Nines drones on too much, tickle him. He's especially sensitive on his sides" With that, Sixty closed his eyes, a anall smile playing on his lips. It made Nines roll his eyes exasperstedly. "If you tickle me, I'm telling Connor and he will tickle you back," Nines warned Allen, face straight.

Allen snorted at that threat, saying “Please don’t bring Connor into this.” The last thing he wanted was to bring his least favorite Stern into the mix. If he was having this much trouble with Sixty, Allen suddenly wondered how Hank dealt with Connor at all. Maybe he should check in with his friend.

It would have been all too easy to try and convince Allen that Connor wasn't all that bad. But it would have been like telling someone bitten by a chihuahua that the Saint Bernard was a soppy idiot. Instead, Nines gave him a sad smile. "I hope one day Connor will be able to prove that he isn't as bloodthirsty as he has led you to believe." As if knowing he was talked about, Nines' phone buzzed with a message from his brother.  I'm glad they're both okay. Short and simple - a bit like Connor himself. "Shall I leave you and Sixty to the rest of your evening? There's food in the fridge - Sixty will know what to do with it."

Convincing Allen that Connor was a good dude was going to be a hard sell today. He at least didn't outright mistrust him, and today's interaction had gone...passably well. But he still didn't like him, and that was going to take a while to change. "I hope so too." Allen replied with a neutral sort of tone. When Nines asked about leaving, Allen was torn. He did want to be alone with his boyfriend, but part of him was still nervous. "What do you think, darling?" He said softly, patting at Sixty's back to try and get his attention, "Do you want your brother here?"

A sleepy mumble and what could have been a pat or a swat to Allen's arm was all the response Sixty gave. Not a very useful answer and Nines had the gall to laugh. "I think that decision falls solely to you." He was doing his best to not let his mirth show, all too familiar with how infuriating Sixty could be at times. "But if you're worried and want someone around, I can stay. Can make myself scarce with headphones so won't hear you two talking if you don't want me in the room. Or, you've got my number so you can call any time."

Allen grumbled at being the butt of some joke between siblings. The last thing he wanted right now was to make one more decision that would backfire. But he could step up. He was used to that. "I guess you can head out then. Go home and make sure Gavin hasn't set something on fire." Allen joked, covering his own nerves with a soft chuckle, "I'll call you if anything happens."

Standing, Nines stretched with a soft groan. He was getting too old for this shit. And no, he didn't miss the irony of the fact that he was the youngest one there. "You're a good man, Allen," he turned to the two sitting down. "You'll be fine." With that, he gathered his things and got ready to leave, phone jammed between his shoulder and ear, eager to let Gavin know they had the evening together now. In the living room, Sixty shifted a little in Allen's lap, content and still fast asleep.

Allen mustered a smile, nodding in response to Nines' compliment. He appreciated the reassurance, really. Today was one of those days when he needed it. He smiled as Nines headed out, already obviously chattering away with Gavin. Good for them. Gavin deserved the happiness he had found. Once the door shut and locked behind Nines, Allen relaxed, letting his head fall back against the sofa.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly: knitting!
> 
> And no, that's not an innuendo. Just some wholesome crafting time.

The sound of the door closing woke Sixty and he blinked around, heart racing in his chest. He took comfort in the fact that Allen didn't seem to be on high alert after the bang of the door. "What happened?" he asked.

Allen raised his head to look down at Sixty, reassuring him “Your brother just left, it’s nothing to worry about.” He watched his boyfriend for a reaction carefully as he added “But we can call him any time if you need.”

"Won't need him," Sixty stubbornly declared. He gave a small yawn and looked at the time. It probably wasn't a good idea to sleep the whole evening away. Squirming, he sat up, needing to occupy his hands with something. "Do you know how to knit?"

Allen had been all ready to take a nap honestly - he needed to turn his brain off or he was going to really lose it. So Sixty’s sudden squirming wasn’t ideal. The question caught him off guard and he looked up at his boyfriend stupidly, admitting “No? Why?”

"I've been trying to learn." Sixty was getting up, limping a little as he forgot he shouldn't move so much. "Coming my brains out isn't always a socially acceptable way to cope so I found something other than my cock to keep my hands occupied." He returned with two pairs of needles and a couple of balls of yarn. One of the needles had a mess of knots on it that couldn't really be called knitting, even if someone was feeling generous. It was a start though and Sixty was determined that he was going to be able to knit Allen a scarf and hat at some point. That seemed like a romantic thing to do.

Allen really didn't know what to say to that, so he just waited patiently as Sixty left and returned with the knitting. Then he was rendered speechless by the mess of knots, trying very hard not to laugh. That felt a little cruel, since he didn't know one end of a knitting needle from another...But Allen couldn't help the amused grin that spread across his face. "What are you trying to make?" He asked as seriously as possible.

The grin was all too telling and Sixty's heart sank a little. He knew he wasn't a natural or even any good at knitting just yet but he was trying. "It's the beginnings of a scarf." He looked at his creation. "Well, in theory. In practice it's I'm just making a horrible mess." Pressing the spare needles towards Allen, he gave him a hopeful look.m and asked, "Would you like to try? I've got several different colors you could choose from."

Allen immediately felt bad for making fun of Sixty, even in his head, so he said “I would love to try. But only if you can tolerate teaching someone with no crafting talent.” Usually crafting was something Allen steered all the way clear of, but this was sweet, and it was something Sixty wanted to share with him. He held his hands out for a ball of yarn and needles.

Something brightened in Sixty considerably at that. Learning to knit together was a cute hobby for a couple - he thought so anyway. "As you can see, I'm just learning myself. But I'm sure we have the brains to figure it out between us!" He passed the needles over and presented the choice of yarn. The only one he hadn't brought out was a chunky, soft as sin black that he was saving for when he got the hang of it. But the neon green, purple and sparkle laced multicoloured yarns were all fair game to learn on.

Allen was mostly just happy to be doing something nice and fun with Sixty that seemed to be making him happy. That was all he wanted, really. He would knit if that’s what it took to reach that goal. “You’re the brains of this operation for sure.” Allen confirmed with a chuckle. He looked at his yarn choices carefully, eventually settling on the neon green. Might as well make a true monstrosity while he was at it.

Armed and ready to try knitting, Sixty settled on the sofa next to Allen. He pulled up a video on his phone and blinked when he saw a message from Nines. Distracted from his original task, he opened it and stared at the photo, jaw a little slack. Not quite believing it was a photo of him and Allen, he pulled the phone closer to his faze and zoomed in, heart soaring as he saw the expression on his boyfriend's face. "You really do love me," he was a little breathless, eyes wide as he took in the photo and Allen sitting next to him, poised and ready to learn to knit.

Allen looked up from his inspection of the yarn to see Sixty looking at him like he was some kind of priceless treasure. God, that was an expression he wished he could take a picture of. He caught sight of what had his boyfriend so awed, and he smiled softly. "I really do." He confirmed, savoring how easy it was to say it.

Head dipping to hide his wide grin, Sixty quickly made the picture his background photo and returned to the video. "This is what I've been trying to learn from." He propped the phone up on the coffee table and hit play. Much more quietly, he added, "And I really love you too."

Allen felt a surge of happiness seeing Sixty so taken with that picture - it was adorable. He was grinning by the time Sixty turned back to look at him, holding up the knitting needles happily. "Perfect, we can learn together then."

It went without saying, Sixty wasn't a natural at knitting but his heart was in it. He tried so hard, alternating painstakingly between knitting and purling every five stitches. When he finally got to the end of the line he let out a triumphant "aha" and held his needle aloft with pride and looked to Allen for approval.

Allen was terrible at knitting, worse than Sixty even, but he wasn’t having a bad time. Mostly because watching his boyfriend be so enthusiastic was adorable. He was mostly paying attention to Sixty, so by the time that first row was done, Allen had barely started. “Good Job!” He congratulated with enthusiasm.

A look between his boyfriend and Sixty's knitting later, he was giggling. There was nothing even remotely close to a good job, half the stitches were so solid, Sixty could probably kill with them while others were more hole than stitch. "I don't think I've ever been so bad at anything on a first go. This is a novelty." He brandished the knitting a little more and shrugged. Time to do another row.

Allen snorted, teasing "What, are you usually a boy genius at everything else?" It seemed like that was what Sixty was implying, and if so he was going to seriously tease his boyfriend about that. Maybe be a little bit jealous. "I've always been terrible at crafting." Allen admitted, holding up his own terrible effort.

There was no delicate way of saying Sixty wasn't allowed to pursue any kind of arts and crafts hobby. It was deemed superfluous and a waste of time when it wasn't something that would further his academic career. So he ended up shrugging. "I'm kind of new to it myself." He ignored the jibe about being a boy genius. Engaging that comment would only lead to more lamenting and talking about what would happen if he didn't perform as expected from the first try. He wanted to focus on happier things.

Allen noted the non-answer to his question, and tactfully decided to just pretend he hadn't asked. Neither of them needed any more drama tonight. "Well I mean as long you're having fun, right?" He offered up instead.

Beaming, Sixty looked between his knitting and Allen. "It was entertaining, learning to knit by myself. But having you here and learning with me is really quite lovely." After a beat, he smiled softly. "Thank you." He leaned over to try and kiss Allen only to let out a disappointed whine when his needles slipped and he dropped a stitch. "I can fix this!" he declared and reached for the crotchet needle he'd left on the table. Painstakingly, he worked the stitch back up and, given how bad his knitting was, it wasn't obvious where he had to correct his mistake. A firm nod confirmed that he was back on track and he continued with his project. "Tell me more about your hobbies?" he asked quietly.

Allen simply smiled as Sixty fumbled around for his needles. There was something charming about watching him be so relaxed and stress free. He wasn’t trying to put up a front or be sexy or snappy. He was just...Sixty. And Allen loved that. He was so engrossed in watching that his boyfriends question caught him off guard. After a few moments to consider, Allen replied “I guess I’ve always gone in for the kind of outdoors kind of hobbies. Dirt biking, rock climbing, paintball...getting into motorcycles was an easy transition.”

"I reckon we would make an epic team in paintball," Sixty mused. "Catch me in the right mood and we could obliterate everyone." The idea of him, Nines and Connor taking on the other three, only for him and Allen to betray their teams and pair up had Sixty grinning. It was certainly something to consider trying. "There was something else I've been wondering." Sixty trailed off and stared furiously at his knitting, trying to figure out how to ask for something.

Allen chuckled, picturing a similar situation in his own mind. "Maybe that would be fun. As long as no one gets  _ too _ competitive." He said, adding a hint of caution. He knew Gavin could get a little wild, and he didn't like the idea of Connor with a gun in the same room as him. But maybe in the future... "Oh?" Allen asked, looking over curiously, "What is it babe?" He delighted at how easily the nickname slid off his tongue.

The blush that was steadily creeping up Sixty's cheek turned into a bright red inferno at the endearment. Which made what he was about to suggest even more flustering. "You mentioned a little while ago that you liked being praised." He tried to knit but had been fiddling with the same stitch over and over again thanks to nerves. "I think I'd like to explore that more with you. And it doesn't require penetrative sex so we could do it whenever we're in the mood."

Allen had a guess that the question was sex related when Sixty turned so red while trying to ask. But even so, the request still managed to surprise him, his own cheeks heating up a little bit at the thought. "Oh. Um." Allen fumbled for words, before managing "I think that would be great. If that's something you're interested in exploring." It was honestly still a shock to him that he was discovering kinks so late in the game, but the way Sixty praised him always went straight to his dick. And that was worth exploring.

That was much easier than anticipated. Sixty was surprised at how Allen didn't resist the idea. "Thank you," he murmured softly. "Maybe give it a bit of thought then, if you're still wanting to play, we talk boundaries tomorrow evening?" After the SWAT training - Sixty had a confirmation email that it was booked in and the cultures he was growing had been spurred along with better conditions. It was nerve wracking, they might make jokes about the fact Sixty was limping when he obviously hadn't been after the incident. But hopefully they would not be too cruel.

Doing something simple like playing around with praise sounded like an easy step they could take after Allen read up on all those links Nines had given him. It would also be a good chance for him to hand over control to Sixty, as opposed to the other way around. “For sure.” Allen agreed, nodding his head, “I think it would be a good idea to talk about boundaries together.” He shot Sixty a shy smile, the thought that they were planning a whole evening around him getting praised finally hitting him properly. The SWAT team was eager for the training now for two reasons - one because it sounded fun and wasn’t regular training, and two because now they needed to check the suitability of this new boyfriend. Scott had approved of him, but the fight had shaken everyone’s confidence a little bit. They were protective of their captain.

Plan in place, Sixty sighed. The next day was going to be an interesting one to say the least. Possibly emotionally turbulent but nowhere near as bad as the day had been. Sixty set his knitting aside with a yawn. "Are you spending the night?" He hoped Allen would but wasn't going to press for it. Especially not if Allen needed a bit of time to himself to think and reflect over everything that had happened.

Allen nodded without any hesitation. He had intended to stay the night ever since they had brought Sixty back to his apartment in such a terrible state. There was no way he was going to leave his boyfriend alone after that. Well, unless Sixty had asked him to leave, in which case he would have felt terrible. "Yeah. We have to get up early tomorrow for the training, but I thought it would be nice to just...spend some time together."

All shy all of a sudden, Sixty offered a meek smile. "I would really like that. Is there any chance cuddles in bed would be part of your thoughts?" He felt foolish for asking, Allen had told him that as boyfriends, he had access to unlimited cuddles. Or something like that. Still, it never hurt to ask. And if it enticed Allen to bed, all the better because Sixty could really do with lying down.

"Cuddles are  _ always _ part of my thoughts." Allen confirmed with a fond smile. He didn't mind reassuring Sixty as much as he needed that love and affection were things he was allowed to have. Standing up, Allen cracked his back with a soft groan and held out a hand to his boyfriend, offering him help standing up. "Shall we?" He asked.

A little too much enthusiasm with standing up had Sixty wincing. "Maybe a bit more cream before we cuddle?" He kept a firm hold of Allen's hand as he led them out of the living room.

"Of course. Anything you need." Allen said, squeezing Sixty's hand as they headed into the bathroom. Cream applied, he ushered them into the bedroom for some cuddle time before they inevitably fell asleep. He knew it wouldn't take him long, given how tired he was.


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are all ya'll ready for more SWAT team shenanigans? Cause here we go!
> 
> (Fun fact: While Scott, Brad, and Marsha are fabricated from outside of DBH by Bready, Polly is actually based on a DBH android! The PM700 model is briefly seen in the police station and I fell in love with her. She pops up in some of my other writings as well!)

Sleep came easy and Sixty woke early, enjoying the warmth of another body next to him. They had so many dramas, so many mishaps, in a way it was a wonder Allen was still there. He turned and winced, backside still more than a little tender. And now he was faced with a choice. Let Allen sleep because he looked so peaceful and sort the cream out for himself. Or wake Allen and ask for help as he promised. Considering that he had managed to work up the courage to ask for help before bed, Sixty thought he would be okay to sort it for himself this time. Everything has a time and place after all, even asking for help. Worming his way out of bed, Sixty headed for the bathroom.

Allen was deep asleep, the exhaustion from the previous day hitting him hard. He was generally a sound sleeper anyways, so Sixty getting up and slipping out of the bed wasn't quite enough to wake him up. Eventually though, Allen rolled over and found that the bed next to him was empty. And  _ that _ was enough to rouse him. "Six?" He called out in a mumble, eyes blinking open slowly and voice thick with sleep still.

The sound of Allen calling for him had Sixty hollering back as he washed his hands. "Just a minute. Want a drink?" He emerged from the bathroom, wiping his damp hands on his legs.

Hearing Sixty's voice calmed the surge of worry in Allen's sleepy mind, and he relaxed slightly into the sheets. "No, just you" He mumbled back, not sure if he was loud enough to actually be heard by his boyfriend.

Why Allen felt the need to tell Sixty he must poo was bewildering - maybe it was a relationship thing. Shrugging, Sixty grabbed two glasses of water to be safe and returned to the bedroom where Allen was still burrowed under the blankets. "The bathroom is free." Sixty wasn't going to say anything beyond that. He set the water down and shuffled to his side of the bed, intent on sitting on top of the covers for a few minutes to read the news and catch up on anything he missed out on overnight.

Allen didn’t understand why Sixty was telling him that the bathroom was free, but he was within arms length and that was all that mattered. Allen wiggled over and wrapped his arms around Sixty’s waist, pressing as close as he could. It was very silly, and he knew he would have to get up soon, but he wanted to be close to his boyfriend.

Lifting an arm, Sixty let Allen snuggle in without really thinking. It felt natural to rest a hand on his back and continue flicking through the news on his phone. "We'll probably need to get up soon. I need to set the lab up again. Want to borrow some clothes for today?" He frowned at a review of a film he'd been curious about seeing. But perhaps he was going to give it a miss, nobody was rating it very highly.

Allen groaned - usually he didn’t have this much trouble waking up. But today his brain really wanted the rest. The team wouldn’t wait just because he wanted a day off though, so Allen began the process of rousing himself. “Sure.” He said after a jaw cracking yawn, “I like wearing your clothes.” It was true, having Sixty’s clothes was like a reminder of their relationship and all the happiness they had together.

The whole morning felt entirely too domestic and Sixty subtly pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. But no, Allen really was pressed against his hip and consenting to wearing Sixty's clothes for the day. "I'll grab you something that will fit," he said and delicately moved off the bed. In his wardrobe, he found a hoodie that was soft and grey, similar to what he had seen Allen in before. Along with a pair of slacks which were hopefully going to look almost okay. There wasn't much Sixty could do about their height difference. He himself got ready for the day in his usual shirt and slacks.

"Thanks." Allen said, stretching and sitting up, the movement finally jostling his brain into being awake. By the time Sixty returned with the clothes, he was awake and standing, ready to get dressed. Worry over the upcoming SWAT training nagged at him, but he managed to push that away for the moment being. Dressed all in Sixty's clothes (the pants had to be cuffed, but that was fashionable, right?), Allen wrapped him up in a hug before they headed out for the day. "All ready?" He asked, ready for any sort of answer Sixty might give him.

Bag with lunch for them both in hand, Sixty nodded. He wasn't ready at all but he probably never would be. The prospect of meeting Allen's team was terrifying. "Want to have breakfast in the taxi?" He offered his boyfriend a granola bar and a travel mug of tea.

“Since we’ll be late otherwise, absolutely” Allen replied, grinning as he took the mug and granola bar. Today of all days he needed the extra time to try and impress on his team that they needed to behave. Not that they would anyways. But then he could say he had tried.

The taxi ride was uncomfortable, Sixty bit the inside of his cheek to hide the ache each jostle brought. He had been foolish to push himself so hard the previous day but he didn't regret it in any way other than physically. At the morgue, he went about setting up for the day, moving a little slower and more measured than usual. Hopefully nobody would notice it. The team was coming in half an hour and Sixty didn't know what to do in that time. He swept the stray strand of hair from his forehead, only to have it fall back in its usual place. "Do I look okay?" He wiped sweaty palms on his trousers, wishing this didn't feel so much like meeting the family of his boyfriend. Deep down, Sixty was desperate for their approval.

Allen was worried about his boyfriend as he watched him walk around the morgue like that, obviously in pain. But he didn't say anything, not wanting to add more stress to the day. Because Sixty sure did look stressed already. The team wasn't even here yet and he was sweating. Not that Allen wasn't also worried, but he wasn't the one about to be in a room of strangers, he supposed. "You look incredible." He said, standing up on tip toes for a quick peck to the cheek, "And they won't care anyways." His team was many things, but vain was not really one of them.

Sixty flushed at the kiss and the compliment. He felt many things but that. "First impressions matter though," he mumbled. Not like it really was going to be first impressions. He had already met some of them. And then they saw the shitshow that was yesterday. Before he could say anything more, there was a knock on the door. Sixty sprang away from Allen and pulled himself together, shooting his boyfriend a sharp grin. "Show time."

Allen didn't have the heart or the time to tell Sixty that this was hardly the 'first impression' the team was going to get of him. If anything, this was more like a turning point impression. Shooting Sixty a reassuring smile in return, Allen gathered himself into a proper military stance and called out "Come on in!" With that, the whole team filed in, one after another, and sort of milled about across from Sixty and their captain. The four of them all looked chipper and pleasant enough, but Allen could read the air of uncertainty and questioning in their body language. "I suppose it's time for introductions." He said, gesturing to Sixty, "This is Dr. Stern, he runs the mortuary department." Then, one by one, Allen pointed out his team. "You know Scott already, he's my second in command." The redhead gave a lazy wave and a wink - he seemed to be the most relaxed out of the group. "Brad is our demolitions expert and all around handyman." The largest member of the team, bearded and generally jovial, shot Sixty a wary smile. "Marsha here is our weapons expert and sniper." Next to Brad, the smaller, stout woman nodded at Sixty when addressed. "And last but not least we have Polly. She kicks our asses." The neat looking black woman rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful, and Allen chuckled out the correction "She's our hand-to-hand specialist. Has so many blackbelts I don't know where she keeps them all."

Giving the group an assessing look, Sixty nodded at them. "Welcome." He felt wound tight and defensive even though this was meant to be his own domain. "While this morning should not require demolition, sniping or belts of any description, feel free to keep them around your person but the only dead I need down here are those who come for an autopsy. So please do refrain from using them." He clapped his hands and gestured to the table where some files were to get the morning started. Sixty didn't dare look at Allen, worried to find disapproval or disappointment written on his face.

There were some chuckles in reply to that joke, but the atmosphere was still guarded - tense - as if the team were waiting for permission to be themselves. They sort of bumbled over towards the table and stood around looking at the files with some interest. "So what's the deal? You gonna brief us?" Brad finally piped up, looking between Allen and Sixty.

"I'll brief you then debrief your Captain in my office while you work," Sixty shot back then realised what he had just said and to whom. Eyes wide, he looked to Allen then decided to plough on, head held high. "This should be enough to keep you out of trouble. A body has come in, only it's been a hectic morning, papers got jumbled. Your first priority is to figure out which folder belongs to which body. One of them has been strangled by their spouse, another had a heart attack and the third has died of unnatural causes - probably autoerotic asphyxiation. But, you need to figure out who is who before you can investigate whether the strangulation was for pleasure or for treasure." He put down the two sets of three folders. It hopefully meant that everyone could see each folder and move between the three practice dolls he had set up on trolleys with their various injuries ready to be discovered.

There were  _ definitely _ some snickers at that, Scott turning his face away into Brad's shoulder to hide his grin. Even Allen couldn't hide a smile, but he did his best to make it a kind one for Sixty. That kind of slip up wasn't a problem, but it was probably embarrassing for his poor boyfriend. "I want you all to put your best effort in here." Allen cautioned, playing the role of hardened captain, "No mucking about with the bodies." A muted mutter of 'That was one time!' went up, but all in all the team seemed genuinely interested in the task at hand. They naturally split into two teams of two, coordinating between reading the files and checking the bodies.

The comment made Sixty wonder just what had happened. There were not a lot of ways to mess around with the mannequins though he had heard of horror stories of dicks getting stuck in the dolls. "Solve the case in good time and I'll show you a trick with the dolls that will make you the bane of any trainer's life." Sixty settled, leaning against the wall a little way off to just watch. It was interesting to watch the team work, they seemed to have the cooperation part down to a tee. Now it was a matter of seeing whether they realise along the way that while the strangulation was self-inflicted and an accident, the heart attack was actually more sinister than a glance would suggest.

_ That _ perked the whole team up, Scott in particular gaining new enthusiasm for his task. Allen was secretly horrified because he knew he would be the one dealing with that bullshit later, but he couldn't help but be proud of Sixty for how well he was doing so far. He stood near Sixty and watched the team work as usual. Eventually, there was some hushed debate by the team, Polly gathering them in a huddle around one particular report. She had noticed the odd details, but in true SWAT fashion they had closed ranks almost instinctively instead of immediately reporting the problem.

Maybe they had found something. Sixty glanced at Allen with a grin before pushing off the wall and smile morphing into a pained grimace of pain at the motion. "So, do we have our results for who is who?" He deliberately wasn't asking anything about the cases at hand. It was down to the team to flag up the inconsistencies of the heart attack victim's notes. If they didn't then they would go on a red herring first before Sixty brought things back to their real case.

Allen tried not to wince in sympathy as Sixty walked, instead focusing his interest on how the team would react. He had a guess, but sometimes they even surprised him. “We do.” Polly announced, watching Sixty with suspiciously, “But we need to ask...who was in charge of these reports?” They had been told to treat this simulation like a real case, so their first instinct was to sniff out the traitor. And Sixty, being the outsider, immediately fell under suspicion.

Now the fun could begin. Sixty was a little offended that he was the immediate suspect but he could play with that. "The computer in my office should have everything about who brought which body in and a little more about the circumstances of the find. We don't have the power to drag people in for questioning but our reports can highlight persons of interest to the appropriate teams, such as SWAT." His office's bin would just so happen to contain a seemingly used needle and ECG patches, almost as if someone had brought someone down alive. The 'heart attack' victim's papers would be incomplete and filled out just slightly wrong - as if done by someone who was unfamiliar with the form and in a rush.

There was a round of nods as the team immediately scattered to head into the office. Everyone but Brad clustered around the computer, while he seemed generally uninterested. Well, at least he was pretending to be. He had been banned from touching the team's technology after the last laptop he had spontaneously combusted. Allen followed after his team to a point, but stopped at the dummies, investigating them himself with muted interest. Partly as part of his role, but partly because he was honestly curious as to the tools of Sixty's trade.

Silently stepping up behind Allen, Sixty looked over his shoulder. "I'll give you a private tour later and explain everything, if you'd like." Stepping back away from Allen, Sixty glanced into the room and frowned. "If you could please refrain from rifling through my drawers and inbox tray! Everything you need has been set out and is within easy reach!" The gall of some people. Honestly!

"Sounds lovely" Allen admitted, turning his face to smile up at Sixty. He really was genuinely interested in seeing how his boyfriend got things done down here. When Sixty turned to start snapping at his team, he let out a rueful chuckle and said quietly "They're like kids. They'll rifle through anything." Brad looked up with a guilty look when Sixty yelled at them, having just been about to start rifling through the trash can out of boredom. He stepped back instead and tried to peer over the shoulders of his teammates instead.

Realising he'd interrupted their discovery in the bin, Sixty blew out an air of frustration. "If you want to find out what I throw in the bin, knock yourselves out." He marched into the room and upended the basket onto his desk.

Marsha let out an indignant squawk as garbage rained down on her side of the desk. "Watch it!" She said, then immediately flushed and looked away, embarrassed at the outburst. It would have been natural within the team, but directed at Sixty...she wasn't sure if Allen would object. "Hey wait a second." Scott muttered, his eye catching on the needle, "That is  _ not _ regulation."

  
  


All the rubbish in the bin was actually clean. And even latex free just in case someone had an issue with it. "Wow," Sixty said flatly. "This is awkward." He was tightly clamping down on a grin as he watched the team for reactions. "Nobody touch anything. We'll need to handle this evidence very carefully. There's gloves and a handful of petri dishes on the side we can use. Along with some pipettes and swabs." As people burst into action, Sixty finally turned and gave Allen a sly grin.

With tools in hand, the team was back in action. They knew how to handle evidence, but how to analyze it had them all a little stumped. They tried not to show it, but they were simply not sure how to use the pipettes and Petri dishes. Allen shared a grin and a wink with his boyfriend, appreciating his fast thinking and ability to work with what he had.

It was quite nice to be able to talk a group of competent and invested people through the process of analyzing samples. "Now, we need a control. So, who is likely to have the grubbiest hands here? Our garbage diver?" He shook his head. "We all washed our hands before taking evidence. That just won't do." He gave Allen a pointed look and then back to the team. The suggestion would have to come from the team, to volunteer Allen. Otherwise they were going to take a little detour into a few other tasks before realising they had to have a control sample. Which wasn't going to be so much a control as a coincidental piece of incriminating evidence.

Much to their surprise, the team actually enjoyed learning something from Sixty. He was patient and careful in his explanations, and he treated them like they had some basic intelligence. Brad did make a noise when he was accused of being a garbage diver, but the team very easily latched onto Allen as their volunteer. "Let's make the boss do some work!" Scott laughed, literally pointing over at him. The rest of the team joined in, pointing and chuckling as Allen put up his hands in mock defeat. "So be it! I will be the control sample, although you're all getting punished for calling me grubby later." He announced.

A step behind the team, Sixty was grinning. He loved how Allen was going along with it all. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he is cleaned up before he gets let loose in society again. Though he might get grubbier first." He snickered at the expressions of the team. "Right. Samples taken. But why are we doing this? Your task was to figure out which papers belonged to who."

Scott was definitely leering at them in a congratulatory way that made Allen know the sex jokes were not too far off. He supposed Sixty just had to brace for that aspect of being ‘part of the team’ in a way. Marsha looked up from the sample she was trying to observe and said in a matter of fact voice “No offense sir, but only an idiot would prioritize paperwork over physical evidence.” Brad chimed in with a helpful “There’s clearly something fishy going on! And we already did the papers thing anyways.”

Looking at the evidence in front of them, Sixty aimed to look decidedly unimpressed. "There is very little in the way of fish down here." After a beat he carried on as if he hadn't made such an appalling joke. "Your task was to figure out who was who and then get on with figuring out why our friend Chuck De Shicken died. As your current supervisor, I am looking at the clock and not understanding what is taking so long. Nor why you are playing around with another body that is lower on the list of priorities. Please explain."

This new hardass approach was not going over very well. Marsha pursed her lips in annoyance and looked to Scott to answer for them. As the second in command, he took over in situations like this where Allen wasn't available. "We already completed that task." Scott explained with a roll of his eyes, tapping at the files one by one, "This goes with body A, this with body B, and this with body C." He paused for clarity before continuing "As for why we're 'playing around', we suspect foul play. I believe that warrants a further investigation, wouldn't you say so,  _ sir _ ?"

Oooh feisty! Sixty grinned, all teeth. "Very well, that's all well and good. But I have three people demanding answers and initial assessment suggested the strangulation was the most pressing to investigate. Right now, the person who sent that in is breathing down my neck and asking where the results are. Juggling expectations along with finding fun things to investigate form part of your jobs today." He sighed and grabbed his phone, tapping idly at it. In reality, he just sent Allen a series of kissing emojis but nobody had to know that. "I've let the higher ups know we've encountered a snag. Now we can work on your discoveries properly." He directed the petri dishes into the incubator and went back to the body, watching at the things the team had already prodded at.

Allen was watching from a safe distance, ready to step in if it looked like either party was going to come to blows. As it was, it seemed like they were all satisfied to just peacock at one another, baring their teeth and showing off their dominance. It was both adorable and worrying. He had to hide a snicker when Sixty simply sent him some kissing emojis. He discretely sent back a gif of a bear blowing a kiss. Marsha was still muttering darkly about 'fun things', clearly annoyed that Sixty wasn't taking this seriously. She was one of the more sincere of the team. Scott, on the other hand, seemed content to have Sixty challenging them. Allen was sure that if he wasn't already taken, Scott would be shamelessly flirting with Sixty by now.

Making a list, Sixty was pleased to see that most of the clues had been identified from the residual glue from the ECG pads to the signs of a struggle with marks around wrists. But they still needed to figure out the residue beneath the nails and also just what the needle had been used for. "So what is your working theory at the moment?"

There was some internal murmuring before Scott was once again pushed forward as the offering. "Well, we have a suspicion that the victim did not suffer a heart attack, and was instead the victim of foul play." He explained, "We suspect the victim was bound at the wrists and a cardiac event was induced. But there are still some questionable elements we have yet to figure out..."

Unthinking, Sixty hopped up to sit on a counter at the side and bit down on the yelp of pain. It wasn't often he was grateful for being able to hide his pain. "Those are some serious allegations. So far you've got some bruising as evidence. What if our victim was just into kinky sex with some cuffs and scratching? Maybe we need to find more evidence on the body to back up such a hypothesis. And find the tools which could induce a heart attack too."

A few of the team members squinted suspiciously at Sixty, but no one said anything. Allen’s worried face was a much easier tell. Something was up. “Good thinking” Scott admitted diplomatically, waving a hand as the team naturally split into two parts - Marsha and Brad heading back to the body while Polly and himself proceeded to snoop further, trying to find the tools.

Wandering back to Allen's side, Sixty grinned and watched. "Think they'll find the significance of the needle in the bin and discover the puncture wound just inside the nostril?" He hoped they would. Despite appearances, he did want the team to succeed.

Allen hummed thoughtfully, replying with a grin “Never underestimate Brad’s ability to stumble his way into dumb discoveries.” It was one of the true constants of the team. And, true to his word, a few minutes later Brad was making a joke to Marsha about picking the body’s nose when he yelled out excitedly “I found a puncture wound!”

Despite best efforts, Sixty couldn't hold back the facepalm and the small snort of entertainment. He couldn't decide if this was a tragic coincidence or genius disguised as idiocy. Rather than bundle in though, Sixty waited for the team to come to him for advice if they needed it.

Allen snickered along with Sixty, amused as always by his team's ability to bumble their way into the correct answer. They were all terribly competent in their own ways, but together it sometimes seemed like they had one brain cell to share. Brad's call soon had the rest of the team approaching, and they all gathered around the body, a murmured debate rising. After several minutes, the needle was finally produced, and all eyes slowly turned back to Sixty. "So....if someone were to have used this needle here..." Polly said slowly, "Are there drugs that could induce a cardiac event?"

"There are," Sixty hummed and nodded seriously. "But they're very difficult to get hold of. The morgue has them, hospitals and hospices have them. But you need to sign it out and note how much of it you use. Let me show you our logs." The logs were in front of the cupboard in a plastic wallet. The front sheet was a mock up very similar to the real thing. However, it was filled out with mostly Sixty's handwriting but the bottom entry Allen had forged with his best ability. It still looked nothing like Sixty's actual writing.

Polly was squinting thoughtfully as she turned away from Sixty and went with the rest of the team over to the logs. The gears in her head were spinning so hard you could almost hear them. The team gathered around the sheet, and Scott pulled it off the cupboard so that they could all look at it closely. There was an audible 'huh' as someone spotted the obvious forgery, then some hurried whispering.

The way the team worked was oddly endearing. Sixty was growing distantly fond of them, like one grows to appreciate a friend's pets. "Now I know my handwriting is not the nicest, but it doesn't usually cause such a fuss amongst people," he teased, playing the idiot. He happily bumped his shoulder against Allen's as he moved past to approach the team. "Or should I assume that SWAT spends more on gym classes than reading classes and you need me to be your text to speech machine?"

Allen was just relieved that Sixty and the team hadn't come to blows yet. He could tell that they were still a little iffy on him, but they were warming up slowly. At least they weren't outright hostile now, as long as he didn't pull any more hardass moves on them. "Maybe you should invest in some handwriting classes" Marsha snarked back, "Because it looks like you lost total control of your pen on this last entry. Was it the guilt of having murdered that poor shmuck?"

Hand on chest, Sixty played mock offended. "I wish I had time to murder people! But if I had to do it, I would be much more subtle than an injection in the nose." Looking at the piece of paper, he sniffed. "And I should hope I could forge my own signature better." As a side, he grumbled about not being so stupid as putting a needle in a regular bin. He was better educated than that. Against all odds, he was starting to enjoy playing with the SWAT team. They were quick to put all blame on him but weren't aggressive or threatening. Sixty wondered whether they would close rank around their own when the "truth" came out or if they would turn on their captain. However, first things first. They needed a sample of the paper. This was swaying into forensics more but Sixty had enough of a grasp of that to be able to blag it before turning back to the body, their petri dishes and results. Those would probably come after lunch anyway.

There were some raised eyebrows at Sixty's dismissal of their accusation. But the more they thought about it, the more that option became less obvious. Not just in terms of the fictional case, but in terms of the training exercise - to make himself the villain would be too obvious, right? There was some general head scratching as the team turned back to the paper to investigate it. Deciding they all needed a breather to clear their heads and think straight, Allen piped up "Let's all take a break for lunch. It should be arriving soon, why don't you help clean up a table for us all to sit at?" The team had pretty much destroyed Sixty's office and workspace in their quest to solve this case, so he wanted to make sure they did a bit to help clean up.


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A surprise interruption brings down the mood, but maybe a hangout with the team could help?
> 
> Note: there is description of a child who has been injured/killed, as Sixty examines her body in the morgue. There is no graphic detail and no implications of sexual violence.

Lunch sounded perfect, Sixty was starting to get beyond hungry, having skipped breakfast again. And some cream wouldn't go amiss either on his aching backside. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Allen and smiled. "Well, there's been no real murder or even an attempt at one. I'd say it's going better than expected." Not that Sixty knew what he had really been expecting. Definitely a lot more criticism and dismissive attitudes. That was much more the norm towards the work the morgue carried out.

Allen could tell that they all needed a break - Sixty for his injuries and the team to avoid getting frustrated by all these new skills. He looked up at his boyfriend when they were shoulder to shoulder and smiled right back. “They’re a good team. And they don’t dislike you.” He reassured, “if they did, you’d know.” They definitely weren’t a subtle bunch. But they were also relatively open minded and eager to learn, even if they were initially ignorant of anything that happened in the morgue.

Another moment passed as Sixty watched the team tidy up his office and it made him wince. The mess was tidied up so to speak - but it wasn't done how Sixty liked to keep things. Still, he wasn't going to complain. Instead, he moved closer with a small smile. "So, how did you all end up in SWAT?"

Allen held back a snort at Sixty's expression - it was clear he wasn't pleased with the way the cleanup had been done. But it was the best his team could do, given their limited knowledge. When Sixty approached with the question, the team turned to him with some interest. Polly and Marsha explained that Allen had found them through their previous teams, and recruited them personally for their skills. Brad piped up "I applied cause it sounded cool." Scott, never to be outdone, simply smirked and said "I slept my way in." That got a round of snorts and eyerolls, because he said that every time and no one could ever tell if he was lying or not.

"Sadly you can't sleep your way into the morgue. Someone might mistake you for a body and try for an autopsy. So I'd caution you away from trying that approach here," Sixty warned with a smile. He idly began tidying up, putting things back in their proper places, not even thinking about it. From his drawer, he pulled out his own lunch, content with knowing the others would be getting something sorted. He shot Allen a questioning look, uncertain whether it would be weird if he had the lunch Sixty had prepared for him rather than share something with the team.

That got a rousing round of laughter from the team. “I wouldn’t mind getting cut open by a hot scientist” Scott joked, as Marsha elbowed him in the ribs. It was clear from the team’s reaction that lewd commentary was to be expected. As Sixty pulled his lunch from the desk, the delivery for the team’s lunch showed up, and Brad hurried over to grab it for them. Allen, meanwhile, made a beeline for Sixty and grinned as he peered at the lunch. “What did you make for me?” He asked, which got a round of teasing ‘awwww’s from the team as they watched the exchange from their table.

"Food," Sixty said, flustered as he shoved the bag at Allen. "I didn't poison it today." With so many eyes on him, he felt self conscious and defensive over his interactions with Allen. Being scrutinised in such a personal setting had him a little on edge. But he was trying to tamp that down, play nice and not embarrass Allen. It probably wasn't going too well though and that made him even more spiky. There weren't enough seats in the office for everyone to sit down. Heck, there wasn't even enough to space for that. Sixty graciously remained standing and resolutely maintained that it had nothing to do with pain when sitting and everything to do with being a gentleman.

Allen simply smiled and said “Thank you” as he accepted the lunch. He sat down with the team, not drawing attention to Sixty while he was standing. Had this been any other day he would have just invited Sixty to sit on his lap for convenience - Marsha was already sitting on Brad, like she usually did when they were at a stakeout and there were no chairs. The team in general was very comfortable with one another physically. As lunch was winding down, everyone licking the last of the crumbs off of their fingers, the phone rang. Allen looked at it curiously and then back at Sixty, hoping it was nothing serious

The phone ringing was never a good sign and Sixty apologised as he reach to pick it up. He frowned at the call, humming and trying to negotiate around it but it was no use. "You can get her here in 15 minutes?" He glanced at the clock and chewed on his bottom lip as he planned. "Okay. Yeah. Bring her in, I'll do it. How old did you say she was?" He cursed a hissed "fuck" and closed his eyes, tipping his head back. Winding up the call, he sighed before looking at the team. "How does an extended lunch sound? I have a body coming in that needs to be done quickly. It's not going to be a good one so I'd suggest a team break of an hour and a half where you go out and explore the sights in the area."

The team, being who they were, were shamelessly eavesdropping on Sixty's conversation. They weren't even trying to pretend not to, instead watching him with curious eyes. When he tried to get rid of them right away, they all immediately shook their heads. "We can stay and help." Marsha insisted. "Or at least observe." Scott added diplomatically, glancing over at Allen for further orders. Allen, in turn, looked to Sixty, saying "It's up to you. We'd be happy to assist if we can, or observe you at work. But if you need privacy, we can go."

"Do you really want to watch me cut up a 4 year old girl to prove her parents were vicious assholes?" Sixty jabbed. "Stay if you want but it's not going to be a Disney movie." He pushed his half eaten lunch to the side and got up. The lab was going to need to be cleared a little, at least a corner where he could do some actual work. Fifteen minutes wasn't enough to do much other than a rush of getting ready. Somehow, it didn't feel like enough time or even respect for his work but that was what he had to work with. By the time a trolley was pushed in by a grim looking woman, Sixty was ready, braced for what was possibly the least pleasant aspect of his job. As the small body bag was transferred over to his table, he didn't glance up at Allen or the team, didn't want to see their reactions.

The team remained hushed but determined as they got up and clustered around Allen out of the way. Their faces were grim and set as they realized what kind of a case this was. Being the team that got sent in as the last resort meant they saw a lot of nasty things in their line of work, but it didn't make the task any more pleasant. Allen murmured soft orders for them to watch quietly but be ready to help if asked. He really didn't want to make this any harder for Sixty than it obviously already was.

The usual silence of the morgue was interrupted by the sound of people just existing in the space. Rustling of clothes, a sniff or two, a sigh. It was all things Sixty was hyper aware of because it was so different to the norm. However, he did his best to ignore it and began pulling up files on the laptop, doctor's reports which held x-rays of broken bones and other ailments. It allowed him to work through the body, know what each injury's history was and it also meant he didn't have to open it up as much. The evidence was damning. With each new injury, Sixty had to take pictures, document his findings and confirm the nature of the abuse. It was a relief to find that it was "only" physical abuse the child had suffered. It still took just over an hour to finish, to compile his findings. All that was left was to write a summary report. He sewed the body back up, hands the forced steady he had learned to ensure no matter what he was feeling when it came to work. Zipping up the bag, he pushed the trolley into a storage unit and closed the door with a finality.

Sixty wouldn't notice, but the team visibly relaxed when it was revealed that there had been no more sinister abuse than the tragedies already inflicted on this poor child. They watched Sixty work somberly, taking in the things he did as a gift almost - a chance to respect the person who had died by learning something and hopefully taking that forward to help. That was what Allen always encouraged them to do, anyways. By the time Sixty was done, he would find the team nodding at him appreciatively, clearly more respectful than ever of the work he did. That had been rough work, they all knew it, and he had done an admirable job of it. More than any training today, that had cemented him in their good books, even if he couldn't tell just yet.

The team was still watching him as Sixty tidied the tools and everything else away. By the time the corner of the room was as spotless as before, Sixty had himself utterly under control. "The sick bastards who were meant to be her guardians but did this instead are going to be locked away for a long time," he told the team. Their silence was a little unnerving and Sixty wondered whether this was the moment they stepped in and tried to come between him and Allen. Or maybe Allen himself decided that he couldn't possibly be with someone who did what he'd just seen for a living. "It's a pretty shit thing to watch someone do, if it plays on any of your minds-" He walked to the whiteboard and scribbled two numbers. "-my phone number and an anonymous helpline too. Call either or even both if you need." Why he gave his number out like that was beyond him. He would never give it to strangers. Then again, the team already knew where he lived so probably has his number too. The damage they could do was unlimited and Sixty hated being at the mercy of strangers.

"Good." Brad said, unexpectedly breaking up the silence after Sixty announced that the guardians would be locked up. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he quieted himself. His face was a twist of emotions, and he looked down at his feet. The fact that Sixty offered his contact information up so freely both warmed Allen's heart and also worried him. He knew how dangerous that felt to Sixty, and he didn't want there to be fallout later. He was about to speak when Scott spoke up instead - again surprising Allen and making his heart ache for how wonderful his team was. "Actually. After tough cases we usually go spend some time together. De-stress, ya know." Scott explained, "I think you should come with us tonight."

It was a move of wisdom for Sixty to not open his mouth and say just exactly how he de-stressed, that wasn't something anyone other than Allen needed to know. Hot on the tail of that thought was the surprise at being invited along. Sixty hadn't exactly endeared himself to the team to the extent that earned him a place with whatever they did together. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before looking to Allen for help and finding his voice. "That's mighty kind of you but I wouldn't want to intrude. You must have your de-stress routines and having a veritable stranger in the middle of it all is disruptive and counterproductive." The offer was still appreciated and Sixty felt a warmth spreading through him at the knowledge that Allen's team might care for him. Even if it was a surface level of care just to placate their boss rather than any kind of fondness for Sixty himself.

Allen simply smiled at Sixty when he looked over and nodded, wanting to encourage him to accept the invitation. This was the team's doing, not his. He knew them well enough to know this wasn't a pity offer. "You're not a stranger." Marsha chimed in, "Or, well, you won't be if you bother to spend time with us." Scott chuckled at that, adding "Yeah, we came here to your turf, it's only fair you join us later." There was going to be no argument, it seemed like.

Floored in the nicest of ways, Sixty shuffled and stared at his shoes for a moment as he considered the offer. "I think I would really like that." He peered up from under his lashes with a small smile then added a hasty "thank you". They probably needed to crack on with the case but somehow, Sixty didn't think arresting Allen was going to be quite as much fun anymore.

The team nodded to one another in satisfaction as Sixty agreed to their offer, and a few of them offered him a smile in return. "I think it's Brad's turn to host" Marsha said, which got an excited murmur out of them all and a beaming grin from the man in question. "Brad always has the best snacks." Allen supplied to Sixty, who wouldn't know the context. He was so happy to see the team and his boyfriend getting along, it made his heart swell happily in his chest.

Nerves made Sixty shiver a little and he tried to brush it off. If Allen trusted the team, he should too. But it was never that easy do. "Do you still want to finish your case this afternoon? I can let you do it, walk you through the rest or give you the afternoon off." Sixty didn't want to make decisions for Allen and his team, that wasn't his place. But he was very conscious of the fact that the case he has put together was almost flippant and fun whereas what the team had seen was anything but. He didn't know whether they would want to work in such contrast or not.

It was Allen who decided this one, saying “Why don’t we call it a day on the case. We can return with fresh eyes tomorrow, which will give you all some time to think about your theories.” There was no argument from the team, with some of them actually relieved they didn’t have to keep going right away. After such a serious case it felt...odd to keep playing at Sixty’s job.

That settled it and Sixty gave the team a tight nod. "Very well, I finish here at 5:30." If the team was coming back the next day, he needed to make time for them which meant bringing work forward. The bit of time without the team there also meant Sixty could fortify his nerves for the evening as well as forget about the case he had worked on once he compiled and sent off the report.

“Sounds like a plan.” Allen confirmed, “We’ll get out of your hair for the rest of the afternoon, but I’ll come pick you up once we’re ready to leave.” He kind of wanted to have some time alone with Sixty before they were part of the group, just to make sure everything was okay. With plans confirmed, the team filed out of the morgue, some with little waves towards Sixty, others simply with polite nods.

A small, tight smile was all Sixty could offer the team. He watched them go, Allen ushering them out. Mostly though, he had eyes for Allen, wishing they could have a moment together, just a hug of reassurance if nothing else. Sixty hoped he had done as well as Allen had expected, that he wasn't a disappointment or an embarrassment to him.

Once he had the team out of the morgue and back to what they were supposed to be doing, Allen did double back just for a quick reassurance for Sixty. "Hey" He said softly from the door of the morgue, "You okay?"

Nodding, Sixty made an aborted move to reach for Allen. He didn't want to seem weak though, clingy and needy. "I don't want your team to think you're dating a freak," he managed to say in the end. His job had caused issues before when he had talked to potential partners. Most thought it was weird at best what he did, some wanted to hear the funny or gory side of his job. But because he didn't like to sell his job as something to consider a gimmick and a source of entertainment. People very quickly found him strange, no longer exciting or eccentric but rather a somewhat disturbing individual to be avoided at all costs.

Allen didn't let Sixty hesitate for too long, pulling him into a close hug. This had been a good idea to come back, he was now sure. "No one here thinks you're a freak." Allen reassured him, "We deal with this kind of terrible shit just like you. In a different way, sure, but if you're calling yourself a freak you'll have to lump us all in." He didn't want to tout it like some kind of point of pride, but the SWAT team regularly dealt with cases involving children - and the ones that ended badly were part of the reason they had started getting together afterwards.

"But I cut up dead kids for a living while you try to save them." Sixty argued petulantly. He didn't even know why he was bickering, trying to convince Allen that maybe he was a freak when that was the exact thing he was terrified of. Maybe if he could get Allen to see it, then it wouldn't hurt as much than it would if it came out later on. Despite his words, he sagged into the hug, grateful to be held and wrapped his arms around Allen and let his eyes close. "I promise I'm okay," he murmured, letting them rock a little. "I'm not going to fall apart."

Allen didn’t even bother trying to argue with Sixty. It was clear he had convinced himself something was wrong, and no amount of clever words would convince him otherwise. Instead, Allen just held him close, letting his presence and physical touch be the reassurance. “I know. But I still wanted to check on you.” Allen replied. He knew Sixty must deal with things like this all the time, but he didn’t have to deal with them alone any more.

It was one of the many reasons Allen was too good for the world. Sixty patted him on the back and reluctantly pulled away. He had work to do and Allen had a team to corral. "You'd better get back to your ducklings before they wander somewhere they shouldn't." He was listening out for the almost expected crashing sound or less than quiet "whoops". Those seemed like the kinds of things to follow the team around when they weren't busy being lethal. "I'll see you when I'm done with work." Feeling a little braver, he pressed a kiss to the corner of Allen's lips.

Allen chuckled - Sixty definitely already knew the team well. He was glad to hear a little bit of sass from his boyfriend, although given how good he was at disguising his emotions, that didn’t necessarily mean anything. The little kiss made Allen smile, and he brushed his hand against Sixty’s cheek before stepping away. “I’ll see you tonight.” He said, then disappeared up and out of the morgue.

Watching Allen leave, Sixty sighed and straightened up from where he'd been slouching. The rest of the afternoon passed in relative peace. He made phone calls to juggle things around so the SWAT team could be back the next morning to finish their training case. With nobody really around, it also gave Sixty a chance to stand and lean over his desk rather than sit without anybody there to judge him. By the time 5:30 rolled around, he was ready to head home. Or rather, leave work behind and be on best behaviour around Allen's team. He was still uneasy around them and struggled to believe that their offer of company that evening was truly altruistic. As he'd told Allen before, nobody in his life had been kind for the sake of it before. So it stood to reason the team wanted something from him too. Whether it was information or something else, Sixty couldn't fathom.

Allen similarly spent some of his time wrangling things around to make sure that they would have time tomorrow to finish up the training. After that it was just the usual routine of training and casework. The team was in fairly good spirits, but still subdued thanks to the nature of this afternoon's case. Allen was glad when 5:30 rolled around. He sent the team on ahead to Brad's house to get started and went down to the morgue to pick up his boyfriend. Shooting Sixty a smile, Allen greeted him "Hey, you ready to go?"

Long gone were the days where Sixty would try to pull a power move and make Allen wait. He was ready to leave, everything tidied away and set up for the next morning by the time his boyfriend appeared. "As ready as I'll ever be," he replied in greeting. As they walked out of the morgue, Sixty switched the lights off and pulled the door closed, the broken lock still hadn't been replaced. He left Allen take the lead, hoping the taxi was already there because he didn't really want to be waiting around. "How was your afternoon?" He finally remembered to ask, forgetting briefly that social convention required talking. Most people didn't like just silently existing with others.

Allen had already called the taxi and set it to wait outside, not wanting to waste time either. When Sixty joined him, Allen joined their hands together as well, squeezing gently. He knew his boyfriend was nervous about this, but he could only hope it would be a good experience. Ushering then both into the car, Allen replied “nothing bad. Fairly boring, honestly. Yourself?” Without any new action in the field, the team didn’t have much to process in the office.

There wasn't a lot to tell abut his afternoon so Sixty shrugged as he said as much. Nerves were making him less talkative than usual but he clutched at Allen's hand like it was a lifeline. Logically, he knew the team weren't there to be mean or pick on him but he couldn't shake the worry that they would somehow try to prove that he wasn't good enough for Allen. His mind was so busy coming up with worse and worse scenarios, he didn't even take note of where the taxi was taking them. "Should I have brought anything? You mentioned snacks once." Worry about seeming rude or entitled sent a fresh flood of anxiety through him. Maybe there was a corner shop he could grab something from before seeing the team again.

Allen could feel how stressed out Sixty was, and he felt kind of bad all of a sudden for taking him into a situation where he was going to be under so much pressure from his own anxieties. Especially after a day like this where he was already under a lot of stress. “You don’t have to worry about bringing anything. I haven’t.” Allen reassured him, his free hand soothing across Sixty’s thigh, Taxi be damned. “If you’re really not going to enjoy this though, we can go home.” He offered, not bothering to specify which home because that was just details, “The team won’t do anything bad to you, I promise. But I don’t want to push you today.”

Either Sixty's ability to hide his emotions was failing him or Allen was getting better at figuring him out. As much as possible, Sixty tried to relax his body language and offered his boyfriend a tiny smile. "They know where I live, it's only fair I see where one of them haunts." He wasn't going to back down, be cowed into running away. Sixty took a fortifying breath and nodded to himself. "You can push me down on the bed later if you want." He winked and refused to think about how sore his backside still was. Crude jokes always helped pave the way out of a situation and he hoped it would be no different now.

Probably both, given no much more time they were spending together. Allen was starting to pick up on the little signs Sixty let off through body language. Which was good, since it seemed like his boyfriend had a habit of hiding things, whether intentionally or not. Allen had to chuckle at the joke, replying “I’ll push you down and apply some more cream on your poor ass later.” There was no harm in joking after they had been serious, especially if it relaxed Sixty. Allen leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. “I think you’ll like this. I really do.” He said as the taxi pulled up, “Just try to relax and enjoy yourself. But if you need to leave, just let me know okay? Text me or whisper in my ear if you don’t wanna be obvious.”

"Thank you." It was reassuring to know that he had an out, even if he was never going to use it. Sixty sighed and got out of the taxi. This was like a weird job interview. Except rather than a job, he might end up with a group of people liking him.and approving him as Allen's boyfriend. Mind made up, Sixty forced a smile. He could do it, he was good at interviews. "Lead the way." He gestured for Allen to take charge.


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Team bonding START! There's no way this could go poorly, right?

Allen was also going to be monitoring Sixty pretty closely throughout the night, and if he thought at all that his boyfriend looked overwhelmed he would step in and get them home. That was part of his job now. Taking Sixty's hand, Allen led them into Brad's house, not really bothering to knock or anything. He was welcome here. In fact, once the door opened he was greeted by calls of 'we're in the den!' from a basement stair.

Every single horror film had a scene where a victim was lured into the basement. Sixty silently sent an apology to Nines and Connor for being so gullible before he descended into the so called den. As he walked down the stairs, he could hear soft chatter and laughter already and he briefly wondered whether that would be the last thing he ever heard. Maybe if he "fell" down the stairs, it would be an easier way out of the mess. Alas, he made it to the bottom without an incident.

Allen didn’t even think about the fact that going into an unknown basement would be spooky. Because this wasn’t unknown, this was his family’s house. Once Sixty got downstairs he would find a cozy little lounging den - big comfy sofas and chairs supplemented with bean bags on the floor. There were tons of fluffy blankets, and some dumb comedy playing on the tv with low volume. The team were snuggled up mainly in one big pile around the sofa and spilling down onto the beanbags, passing around bowls of snacks and drinks. A general cheer went up when Allen and Sixty arrived, with cries of ‘cmon in’ accompanied by genial patting of empty spaces where they might snuggle in. Personal space had been totally abandoned, with the team lounging all over one another.

There were several empty spots to choose from and several people inviting them to sit. Sixty was pretty certain they were all for Allen though, rather than him so he glanced at his boyfriend for guidance.

"Hello everyone, thank you for inviting me to this," he offered to the room at large. Despite the veritable puppy pile, Sixty didn't think anyone would actually want him in such close proximity. He was the outsider here. Even in the army he was always a little on the outside, the one who was there with everyone but kept back from the immediate danger, only dealing with the aftermath. Even if he was still on the frontlines and got caught up in skirmishes from time to time.

Allen smiled when he saw the cuddle pile, already ready to get in and get snuggled. Usually de-stress evenings were just big cuddle piles with dumb tv or games. The point was just to do anything other than think about work. Noting Sixty’s hesitation, Allen tugged him along towards the pile. As soon as they were close, warm arms and hands were grabbing and pulling them into the mix, and soon enough both were snuggled close to teammates. Sixty might be new, but he was Allen’s. And that meant he was welcome to cuddle night. “What some snacks?” Brad asked helpfully from his position at the bottom of the pile. He was the biggest, so he got snuggled onto most often.

So many bodies in a warm pile like that was utterly alien to Sixty and he tried to figure out who he could touch and where. It seemed too intimate and familiar, implying a trust and closeness that Sixty didn't feel he had earned just yet. "Thank you," Sixty took an offered chocolate bar and nudged Allen for his attention. "You want?" He held up his chocolate, giving Allen the option to take it.

Hands on hair or waists or backs or arms seemed totally appropriate. No sexual cuddling, but the team seemed totally physically comfortable with one another. Marsha had her head comfortably planted on Brad’s chest so she could watch the TV easier, and Polly had agreeably put an arm around Sixty since he was close. “Sure thing.” Allen agreed, pulling down the wrapper and taking a bite of the chocolate held in Sixty’s hand. He was resting with his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder comfortably.

The touch of an arm around Sixty was unexpected and he didn't know whether it was unwelcome. So he sat, rigid at the edge of the pile, feeding his boyfriend chocolate. "Did you have a good afternoon?" He asked the room at large, trying to find some kind of ground on which he could at least meet these people and be sociable.

The team seemed largely unbothered by Sixty’s weird body language, and Allen was doing his best to try and soothe him. He was pressing little kisses to his boyfriend’s fingertips every time he took chocolate from him, and had one hand comfortably running circles into his leg.

“This afternoon was great. Cap let us spar!” Brad reported cheerfully, to which Marsha replied “You just say that cause you didn’t lose the most today.” Polly had a smug smile on her face, and winked conspiratorially at Sixty.

Not quite understanding the wink, Sixty looked back to his boyfriend for reassurance but also had a quip on his tongue. "So your lot sparring against each other constitutes a, and I quote, "nothing bad, fairly boring" afternoon?" His smile was sharp as he nudged Allen in the side. "Next you'll be telling me that a hostage situation is downright boring if you don't get to intervene much because a negotiator does their job." He was teasing, trying to make a joke even as his brain threw up red flags about it. It was almost what had happened when the criminal barricaded the morgue. Sixty hadn't meant to bring that up. Desperate, he searched for anything else to distract. "How do the snacks fit into your training and diet regime?" If before was a foot in mouth moment, this was him cramming the whole leg in after. Sixty wondered whether he should make an excuse and leave before he was forcibly thrown out.

Allen definitely felt the way Sixty mentally tried to squirm away from making dumb nervous comments. He held his breath to see if the team would react or just let it slide - and if he’d need to step in. Luckily for everyone involved, Brad’s mouth moved faster than Scott’s. While the redhead had been about to make a snide comment, Brad legitimately was excited to share about his knowledge of nutrition. “Well actually! It’s good to take a break and indulge once in a while! Sugars give your brain endorphins, plus most of the stuff I make is homemade and uses all kinds of stuff that’s good for you!” Brad seemed prepared to ramble on, and everyone else settled down into the familiar routine of half listening. Allen breathed out. Crisis averted.

A silent thanks was given to the world at large that Brad seemed so excited to talk about the things he made. It was a talking point that Sixty desperately latched onto as a social hook.

"Do you often make things?" Except now it was starting to sound like an interrogation and Sixty was wishing the world could just swallow him up. Hastily, he added a weak "it sounds fascinating" to hopefully make it a little more friendly. But did it sound like flirting now? He could feel his cheeks heating up as he got more and more flustered.

A collective well-meaning groan went up and especially from Marsha, who complained, “Oh god don’t get him started, he’ll never shut up!” Brad took offense to that, and soon the squad was squabbling amongst one another while laughing.

Polly meanwhile was still trying to be nice to Sixty, so she added for his benefit, “He does this a lot. And also our diets kind of depend on our specialties.”

Watching the squabble he accidentally started, Sixty couldn't help but think that the team were like siblings. And he had no right to be intruding on their time together. He was about to excuse himself when Polly talked to him.

"That makes sense. Heifers, cows and bullocks are all fed differently for their different purposes too." And he just managed to compare the SWAT team to bovines. Sixty didn't think he was going to make it out of the evening alive. Thankfully he held back the insufferable question of what diet Polly was on. That seemed like a step too far even for a bumbling twit. He offered a pained smile to Polly in way of apology and shied away from her touch, preparing to be asked to leave. This was the reason he had chosen work in the morgue. It was very difficult to offend the dead.

Allen, meanwhile, has started to really laugh when Sixty describes the team as cows.

“Oh my god,” he wheezed, “That’s it, I’m changing the official term from ducklings to ‘herd’ any time people ask me about you!”

That got a round of laughter and complaints from the team, with Scott piping up, “Does that make you the Steer, Captain?” He looked over at Sixty and asked “What’s the bull called that’s for breeding? I wanna be that one.”

Polly reached her free hand over and punched him in the shoulder, pretend gagging as she said, “Don’t tell him that, he’ll never shut up about it.”

A critical look over Scott and Sixty's lips curled up. "A stud but let us face it. The only stud here is Fletch." He sent his boyfriend a smirk. "Maybe Marsha because she seems the kind." He was trying his best to relax into the group. They seemed to be fairly receptive and accepting of his blunders which was helping him settle. The urge to run was lessening and Sixty actually breathed easier. He even allowed himself to press into Polly's touch, allowing her quiet acceptance of him into the group.

The thing that Sixty didn't know was that the team fucked up and joked around each other constantly. It was a close, familial atmosphere, and none of them were going to take offense too easily. The only thing that could cause them to turn on Sixty was perceived cruelty to one of the members, especially Allen. The minute he got upset, they were all going to close ranks. His stone cold burn of Scott, though, that was popular. A resounding "OoooOOOoOOh" went up from the group, and Marsha beamed. Scott spluttered and protested, "That's favoritism!" But Allen simply smiled and pressed a kiss to Sixty's cheek, replying "Hell yeah it is." with a wink.

It seemed the ice was broken and the team weren't going to rip him to pieces at the first hint of a mistake. Fraction by fractions, Sixty let himself relax, the kiss to his cheek reassuring him more than anything else could. "It's not favouritism if it's the truth," he argued with a sly grin. "Favouritism would be declaring my boyfriend a stud purely because I only ride his dick." With a slightly forced cheer, Sixty picked up a snack from the bowl next to him and bit into it with relish. Whatever it was, it did not taste exceptionally pleasant and he wondered whether Brad's concoctions were so grumbled about because nobody actually liked it. Still, he was a guest, Sixty knew how to be polite and he took another bite.

There was a mixed cry of ‘gross’ along with some wolf whistles mixed in, but the team genuinely seemed not to mind the talk about Sixty and Allen sleeping together. Admittedly they were somewhat distracted when Sixty picked  _ that _ bowl to snack from, and everyone sort of hushed up as he chewed. After a few moments, Marsha leaned down from her seat on Brad and asked “So...how is it?” She was obviously heavily invested in knowing.

Cramming the remaining parts of the...whatever into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully, Sixty tried to buy himself a bit of time. "It's..." he desperately tried to figure something pleasant to say. "It's probably very healthy?"

Marsha let out a pained and dramatic groan and flopped back onto Brad. “Noooooo, they’re gross I knew it!” She whined, and Brad patted her head sympathetically.

“He still ate it.” He offered diplomatically.

A small surge of panic that he had offended Marsha shot through Sixty. Blindly he reached for the basket and picked out another...thing. "I'll even eat another!" He hastily took a bite to prove his point. "And if there are any left over for some unfathomable reason by the end of the night, I could take some home for my brothers, they would love it!" He desperately didn't want Marsha to feel like her efforts were unappreciated or that she had wasted her time. Given the amount of effort that usually went into baking, Sixty would gladly suffer an upset stomach as long as peace and happiness was maintained.

“No no, for gods sake don’t kill yourself or your brothers!” Scott said, at the same time as Allen gently whisked away the bowl.

“They’re not  _ that _ bad!!” Marsha yowled indignantly, reaching out to bat at Scott’s head. “You don’t have to eat it just to be polite” Allen murmured with a reassuring smile and a tiny chuckle, “We All know Marsha’s not a very good cook yet.” He was certain she might be someday, but for now...

"It was a very good attempt," Sixty tried to pacify as he subtly put the half bitten into cookie down. "It looked edible even if it didn't quite live up to looks. A bit like amazing looking cakes and pictures in recipe books. Did you know they have glue and the like to make it look better?" Random fact blurted out, Sixty bit his lower lip. Despite his initial terror, he was warming up to the team. They actually seemed casually apathetic towards him. There were no twenty questions to interrogate him, no snide comments to put him down. It was curiously nice and he did his best not to ruin that.

Marsha pulled a face but Brad was looking thoughtful. “Maybe we should put some glue and stuff in next time...can’t hurt it, honestly.” He teased, and that had Marsha tackling him while the rest of the team laughed. Allen was quite proud of Sixty, he had been handling this whole thing marvelously well. And the team had taken to him as well - it was normal for a cuddle pile to turn into a brawl with them, and he whispered as much to Sixty so he wouldn’t worry about what was currently happening.

The team rolling around in a mass brawl was kind of interesting to watch. That wasn't sibling behaviour Sixty had ever experienced. It was all going tolerably until a pillow sailed through the air and smacked Sixty in the face. He looked to Allen for confirmation before lobbing it back and bundling in.

Allen grinned when Sixty entered the fray - there was that feisty spirit finally. He stayed out of it for once, not wanting to throw his lot in either way. Besides, by the time the heap was done, everyone in it was exhausted and panting, which Allen was still watching in amusement while he sipped his drink.

Sixty stood no chance in a scuffle against the SWAT team. Not even his dirty fighting from his army days saved him and all too soon he was on the bottom of the pile and getting absolutely pummeled. Only, rather than panic, it was making him laugh, the noise tearing from him despite his best efforts not to spill out. Nobody seemed to care about how wrong it sounded and, for the first time in a long while, Sixty felt a little less self-conscious about it. By the end, the team had descended into a pile and Sixty waved a little shyly at Allen from the middle of it. "I think I lost," he declared, not quite caring.

Allen was more than relieved when he heard Sixty laughing. A weight he hasn’t realized he had been carrying lifted off his shoulders as he saw how relaxed and carefree his boyfriend looked. This felt...good. It felt right. The world was as it should be. “Congratulations!” He laughed, “A fair outcome for your first scuffle.” Allen reached into the pile and tousled Sixty’s hair. “Loser buys pizza!” Brad crowed from where he lay almost on the top of the heap.

The hair tousling had Sixty freezing in panic. Because he'd lost. And while he was content with that, the touch to his hair had thrown his mind back to growing up; when losing was not okay and punishment was coming in the form of Elijah dragging him by the hair. As quickly as the panic came, he quashed it down and forced a smile. But his chest was heaving not with exertion now but rather the remnants of barely contained panic.

"I can get the pizza," he agreed meekly, submitting in the face of so many against him, all who could overpower him easily. The quip about being eaten out of his life savings died on his tongue, the worry of offending the team back on his mind.

Allen internally cursed himself - in his relaxation and happiness, he had slipped up and forgotten that touching Sixty's hair (even lightly) might set him off. He could see the way Sixty's body language tensed up and his face became stiff and frozen.

"Here, we can go out into the kitchen and I'll tell you what the team wants." Allen offered Sixty a lifeline to take a little time out, "Otherwise while you're on the phone ordering a bunch of this lot are going to make noise the whole time."

The out was most certainly appreciated and Sixty nodded as he got himself back under control. He didn't dare glance back at the team as they moved into the kitchen.

"Sorry," he apologised as soon as they were out of the basement. "The losing, coupled with the hair thing just threw me." He looked around the kitchen with a bit of wonder, taking in the decor and the touches of life dotted around. Given how active the team were, he imagined they would be able to put away copious amounts of pizza so he held up a hand to stop Allen reeling off the order. "I might need to shuffle a bit of money around from savings before placing the order."

The team was mostly just wiggling their eyebrows and making suggestive gestures as Allen glared at them. They assumed the two lovebirds were off to make out for a bit in the kitchen.

"I figured, I'm sorry for doing that." Allen murmured, wrapping a reassuring arm around Sixty's waist. "Are you okay?" he asked, wanting to make sure that his boyfriend wasn't going to need to tap out. That comment made Allen frown, as he looked up at Sixty curiously. "Are you that strapped for cash? I'll cover this round, don't even worry about it."

Leaning in close, Sixty let his eyes slip as he took comfort in Allen. Now that he was out of the basement, he felt a little foolish about his reaction. "I'm okay. Just needed a moment to remember you're not Elijah." Sighing, he straightened up. It was time to address the other question. "This month is a little tight. Nothing bad and I can dip into savings for this. But a new tailpipe and paint job on a bike isn't cheap."

"Take all the time you need." Allen replied, squeezing him gently in response, "We can go back downstairs when you're ready, those idiots will be fine on their own." It took him a few moments to put two and two together. The only bike that had needed a new paint job and a tailpipe in the last month was... "Sixty. Did  _ you _ pay for my bike repair?" Allen asked in sudden surprise.

A little guilty, Sixty peered up at Allen and nodded. "I wanted Connor to pay for it. But he was being and ass and I didn't want you to hate him because I didn't want that to come between us. So I paid and pretended it was him so you would maybe forgive him. Sorry." Sixty wasn't sorry for paying for the repairs but he was apologetic for lying. He'd thought Allen may have figured it out before but obviously he had been wrong.

Allen's first reaction was to be annoyed at the deception, but then he just felt a sense of exhaustion set in. This whole Connor thing had already caused so much drama and hurt between them, it was time to let it go. He could accept that his boyfriend had been trying to do a good thing, even if it had been done in a bad way. "I'm definitely buying the pizza then." Allen decided, pulling out his phone. "And in the future...you don't have to lie, okay? Just tell me, that's what I'm here for."

The gentle reprimand had Sixty nodding and staring at his sock clad feet. By the time he could have said something about the little white lie, it was already too late. Plus he thought Allen had figured it out.

"Sorry," he repeated. "I thought you knew." Sixty felt shame creeping through him at the idea that he couldn't even buy pizza for Allen's team. When Allen had brought over takeaway and even shared with Connor while Sixty had been sick. Reaching out, he laid a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. "I've got this one. I lost and loser gets pizza. Those are the rules." He offered Allen a hesitant smile, hoping to get one in return. With maybe a bit of reassurance that Allen wasn't mad at him.

"It's okay." Allen reassured Sixty, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek, "I'm not mad at you." He wasn't, really. If he was angry at anyone, it was still Connor. And he was trying very hard to let go of that. "Look, it's okay..." He tried to reassure his boyfriend, "No one here is actually that serious about that. No one wants you to stretch your savings for some dumb game." Allen wouldn't push if Sixty continued to insist, but he hoped he wouldn't.

Doing his best to pacify, Sixty shrugged. "Not really the time or place to discuss it but Connor's got his own worries and financial decisions. So maybe I shouldn't have said he was an ass. Well he was but-" Sixty cut himself off abruptly, knowing he was rambling without point or concrete facts that would help Allen understand. And he wasn't going to air his brother's dirty laundry. "Maybe we could split this between us?" He offered, trying to move the conversation on and finding a middle ground with a bit of teasing thrown in. "After all, only a sore loser would abstain from the fun."

Allen shrugged as well, replying "Connor is absolutely an ass, you're welcome to say that whenever you want." He meant it more as a tease, a way to lighten the mood, but he was also dead serious. "But you don't have to explain his business to me." Allen added, "I get that you were trying to help him. And me. It's okay." The compromise seemed fair, and Allen smiled up at his boyfriend as he replied "Alright. We'll split, and the team will be none the wiser." Unfortunately for him, there was a set of prying eyes watching from the steps down to the basement at this very moment.

It was a relief to have Allen shrug it off like that and Sixty sagged a little. Feeling brave he pushed against his boyfriend, shoulder to collarbone, nudging for a hug. He hadn't missed the suggestive looks from the team and, if they were expecting it anyway, they might as well throw in a bit of affection in the privacy of the kitchen. "Want me to call the order? Or I could do my best to distract you while you're on the phone?" Sixty had a small grin tugging at his lips. He could imagine all the mischief he could get up to while his boyfriend was on the phone.

Allen gladly wrapped his arms around Sixty in reply to the subtle ask for a hug. He liked being able to give his boyfriend physical reassurance when he was worrying. It felt lovely. Chuckling, Allen said "I mean, I suppose I do deserve a bit of payback for that little phone stunt I pulled in your office." He was teasing right back, a smile spreading across his face as well. The poor pizza guy.

Memories of that had Sixty snickering into the crook of Allen's neck. He pressed a few kisses to the skin he found there for good measure before turning them so his boyfriend's back was to him.

"Make the phone call," he urged. Waiting for Allen to dial before setting to work, Sixty smirked to himself. Sure, he might have left his words open to interpretation, and if Allen just so happened to assume something sex related, well, that was his own dirty mind's fault. Instead, Sixty dug his thumbs into muscles, searching out knots and set about giving the most bone melting massage he could possibly give.

Allen knew the team's pizza order by heart at this point, as it was often his responsibility as their boss to make sure they were fed. The pizza delivery place was in his phone contacts, and he wasn't sure if that was hilarious or sad. Dialing up the number, the person on the other end had just picked up with Sixty dug his thumbs in, and Allen had to bite back an embarrassing moan. Fuck. He gritted his teeth and faked a cough to excuse his long pause, starting in on the order as best he could with Sixty doing that to his back.

The moan turned cough just wasn't going to be good enough. Sixty upped his game, working his way lightly down Allen's back before digging his thumbs into the muscles either side of Allen's spine. When he got back to his shoulders, he rubbed along them before slipping hands under arms and curling against his chest. As Sixty worked over his pecs, he started kissing silently over Allen's neck, barely hiding his smile. He wondered what the pizza guy was thinking, whether he assumed Allen was stoned or distracted. With such a big order, probably stoned.

The pizza guy on the other side of the line was largely just tired as hell of people calling the store when they were getting head or stoned out of their minds. It was annoying, quite frankly, but usually they tipped well. So he didn't comment even as Allen choked on the words 'pepperoni and sausage' and didn't even make a commendable effort to hide the whine that escaped when Sixty wrapped his arms around his chest. There was just something so comforting and sexy about being held close like that... Allen hastily completed the order and hung up, breathing hard and cursing under his breath.

  
  


Triumphant, Sixty stepped back as the phone went down. He was grinning ear to ear and absolutely unrepentant.

"I think," he cleared his throat and pulled himself up to full height regally. "I win!" He laughed silently, unable to keep up the pretence of annoying superiority. In the end, he tugged Allen in for a kiss. "Should we return to the chaos pot that is the basement? Given the noises you made, they may well think I blew you." Sixty didn't actually mind if the team thought that, those kinds of assumptions he could easily shrug off or escalate into lewd teasing.

Allen couldn’t even pretend to be mad, he was grinning up at Sixty with mirth written all over his face. “I think I’m the winner here, you worked knots out of my back I didn’t know I had!” He exclaimed with a laugh, gladly going up on tip toes for a kiss, “I’ll be asking you for a repeat performance of that soon enough.” His boyfriend did have a point though, and Allen gladly looped an arm around his waist to steer them both downstairs. “They’re going to be insufferable, fair warning. Feel free to haul off and smack Scott if he gets to be too much.” He added as they headed down the stairs.


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All new meetings are a little bit bumpy, especially when you're the odd one out... The true test is how you deal with those bumps.
> 
> That won't be a problem for Sixty, right?

Down in the basement Sixty smiled at the team, trying not to look like he had done anything wrong. Hopefully the team would just assume they had been making out rather than Sixty admitting that he was in yet another pickle. "Pizza is on its way," he announced as he settled on the floor, wincing as his backside twinged.

The team stilled as their captain and Sixty re-entered the basement, all watching carefully for a few moments. The pile from earlier had arranged itself back into a lazy cuddle pile, and the tv was on again as the team apparently zoned out together. This was a ruse, of course, to cover the fact that they had been wildly gossiping just moments earlier about what had been overheard. But the watchful silence only lasted for the briefest of moments, before Scott snickered and said “Have a nice make out session?” There was a chorus of giggles at that, along with a mournful addition of “i hope you didn’t dirty my nice kitchen” from Brad.

"Get jealous as you played peeping Toms? Any mess we made, we licked it clean up. It's how we keep the morgue so sparkling." Sixty shot back. "I'll teach you the correct techniques tomorrow." Something felt a little off. The team too relaxed and he glanced at Allen, trying to gauge whether he noticed the difference too. There were times Sixty wished he had mind reading capabilities and now was one of those.

That got a good round of laughter and general ‘ew’s from the team, all laughing and elbowing each other. Marsha leaned down to gently nudge at Sixty’s shoulder, winking as she said “I’m sure you’ve got plenty of correct techniques, you take good care of the boss, okay?” Allen was also sensing something was off about the team, and he had a sinking feeling it was because they knew what had actually happened upstairs. Honestly, they were being uncharacteristically kind here, and Allen didn’t want to spoil it. He and Sixty could talk it out later, if at all.

Accepting the shoulder nudge as a friendly touch, Sixty nodded. "I don't take this kind of thing lightly. He'll have the best I can give," Sixty promised quietly. He meant it too. While he didn't always feel like he had much to offer, what he did give, he gave with the best of intentions. "I doubt you want us in your hair all night Brad," Sixty said. "What time do people usually start to leave?" He was going to need to order a taxi and he liked to be prepared.

That was a little too serious of an answer, and the joking edge to the conversation quietly trailed off, replaced with a more introspective one. The team glanced at each other, silently trying to come to some kind of decision. "Oh, people usually leave a little while after the pizza's done." Brad explained, then carefully added "One of us can drive you though. You don't have to spend money on a taxi as well."

Sixty was many things but he wasn't dumb and his head snapped up at that, eyes wide at the implication. He looked to Allen then back at the team, feeling exposed and vulnerable.

"I'm not- I don't- I-" he tried several times. He didn't want to be rude but he wasn't some charity case who couldn't even afford a taxi. And he didn't know whether the whole team knew where he lived. "Thank you but I live on the other side of town. That's too far out of the way, I wouldn't expect anyone to drive there, especially not at night." A little lie, he wasn't quite the other side of town but put on the spot like that, it was the politest rebuff he could come up with.

Allen immediately felt a sense of dread as the team revealed their hand. This could go very poorly, he worried, and the last thing he wanted was for Sixty to have another meltdown so shortly after his last. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him home.” Allen reassured, deciding it was safest for him to step in. Brad looked away, clearly unsure of what to say. It was Marsha who piped up eventually, saying “We’re sorry for bullying you over the pizza. You didn’t really have to.” They were all very aware, at some deep level, that as a team they could be overpowering. And they did feel guilty for that at times, especially times like this.

Trying to salvage the situation and save face, Sixty waved them off with a forced grin. "Loser buys pizza, I abide by the rules. There was no bullying, don't worry." It was fragile, this weird balancing act and Sixty decided to break it. "I don't know why you're so het up over some pizza and a taxi, I do work and earn a living you know." He glanced over to Allen, knowing for almost certain that their conversation wasn't as private as they had hoped. Part of Sixty was expecting punishment to come as a result even though he knew that wasn't Allen's style.

There was a collective murmur as the team sort of looked at each other trying to gauge what to do next. They had clearly been eavesdropping, but no one had said as much up till now, so they couldn’t directly contradict Sixty. Brad shuffled awkwardly on the sofa, and Marsha bit her lip. Eventually the eavesdropper himself lost his patience and abruptly spoke up, saying “Look, are you gonna let us be nice to you or are you gonna deflect the whole night? Cause we all know.” Scott had little patience for politeness games unless it was flirting, and this was pretty much the opposite of that.

A bolt of panic laced through Sixty at that. They all knew? Had Allen told them everything? Instinct was screaming at Sixty to cut ties and run. Or to lash out verbally and hurt before they could turn on him. With the whole room now staring at him, he felt every bit the outsider he was.

"I don't know what you  _ think _ you know," he seethed, "but unless my boyfriend has gone around blabbing, you know fuck all about me. Not of my past, not of my current life. And if you think eavesdropping on a private conversation gives you everything you need to know about me, I'd love to hear your assumptions." Quieting down a little and realising he was making a spectacle, Sixty slumped, a little defeated and ashamed. Looking up again, he didn't make eye contact with anyone in the group as he spoke up, "All you needed to do was ask. Not veil your assumptions behind forced kindness."

The effect Sixty’s outburst had on the mood in the room was instant, with all the members of the team reacting in various degrees. Scott looked mad, Polly’s face was carefully neutral, and Brad and Marsha looked the most distressed and mortified. Allen, meanwhile, was close to full on panic, his worst fears pretty much materializing in front of him.

“Let’s just all calm down...” Allen said carefully, putting on his best ‘adult’ voice as he looked around the ring of faces. “I’m sure nobody meant any harm.” He added, mostly to reassure Sixty, who looked like he was about ready to either burst into tears or claw someone’s eyes out.

“Not our fault you’re a prickly bastard.” Scott muttered darkly, also refusing to look at anyone, “We invited you in out of good faith and you’re just being weird about it. Would you have acted like a normal person if we had been direct?” Clearly, he was not in the mood to accommodate Sixty in any way at this point.

Before Allen could open his mouth to discipline what was clearly a cruel remark, Polly spoke up for the first time in a while. “We could have been more direct, true. But the attempts at kindness were genuine. If increasingly difficult to extend. Apologies for any distress caused.”

"I'm sorry my life experiences haven't shaped me into a perfect, normal person who would fit into your life seamlessly,' Sixty spat at Scott before turning to Polly a little softer. "I'm sorry I'm no good at this socialisation thing. Directness has always been easier for me. Kindness...not so much." Sixty didn't dare glance at Allen. He already knew he had messed up and disappointed him. He counted back the seconds of silence. Once he hit six, he was going to offer to leave.

Polly shrugged, replying “Directness here is earned after time, I’m afraid. We’re a close bunch with each other, but try to be kind to newcomers.” Knowing they could be a rowdy bunch, they did tend to try and be much gentler to outsiders than each other. Although, Polly would never say it, but the team in general saw enough of the bluntness of the world. They generally tended to band together for support and kindness. Allen knew from his facial expression that Scott had now completely written Sixty off. This was going to be difficult in the future, and he was already dreading it. He waited and watched his boyfriend, wanting to leave the decision up to him. “At least...take some pizza if you’re going to leave.” Brad said quietly, eyes flicking hesitantly over to Sixty.

Really, Sixty should have expected this. He nodded tightly. "I honestly don't think you'd want me here even until the pizza arrives." Pushing to stand, he shrugged. "Thank you for the opportunity of spending time with you this evening. I'm sorry I was a disappointment." He turned towards the stairs and as he moved past Allen, he trailed his hand across his shoulders in apology.

Polly hummed quietly in response. As the most level headed and emotionally competent of the group, she could tell that now was a bad time to mention how many assumptions Sixty was making about how the team as a whole viewed him. Best to let this go for now. Allen stood up as Sixty passed him, snagging him by the waist and walking with him towards the stairs. “Alright folks, I’ll see you all tomorrow bright and early,” he said, giving his team a nod and the clearly glowering Scott a warning look. There was no way he was letting Sixty leave like this, no matter his protests.

Each step felt heavier for Sixty. It was for the best, he had deluded himself into hoping that maybe the team could accept him. But all along all he had done was give himself false hope.

"I'm sorry I'm such a prickly bastard." He turned to Allen with wet eyes. "I'll wait for a taxi outside. You stay and enjoy the pizza. Just because I keep fucking up doesn't mean you should miss out. And maybe your team can talk some sense into you. I'm not sure I am good enough for you and I think they'll agree." His fingers were twisting the hem of his shirt, fidgeting to keep everything at bay. Someone else's home wasn't the right place to do this, but breaking up with Allen seemed like the only logical thing. And if he did it then and there, at least Allen would have his team, the ones he called family around him.

Allen was already deeply worried about his boyfriend, but he hadn’t expected to be...broken up with? Was that what was happening? He took a few moments to let himself sort things out in his brain before trying to reply. The whole time, he was still holding onto Sixty by the waist, keeping him close.

“I think that right now you’re stressed out and in a bad place mentally.” Allen said slowly, “And maybe that’s causing you to...overreact. Because I don’t think any of those things. And I don’t think everyone downstairs thinks that either.”

No shit Sixty was in a bad place mentally. He had successfully fucked up meeting Allen's team. They at best disapproved of him, at worst outright hated him.

"I've seen how they close rank, have each other's backs. It's okay. I'll just be another bullet you dodged soon enough." Absentmindedly, Sixty rubbed at the tattoo over his heart. Blinking a free stray tears away, he leaned in and kissed Allen on the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered and turned to go.

Allen was starting to panic, fighting back the feelings of anger that were trying to surface thanks to the terrible situation and Sixty refusing to listen to him. He tightened his grip on his boyfriend, not letting him walk away.

“Don’t I get any kind of say in this?” He asked, voice half a growl, “You’re deciding for me, the team’s apparently deciding for me...what about what  _ I _ want? What if I don’t want you to leave??”

That thought had honestly never occurred to Sixty and he looked at Allen as though he had grown a second head. He couldn't figure out why Allen wouldn't want him to leave, there was no reason, no logical thought. His family had rejected Sixty, Allen didn't like half of Sixty's own family. It was a recipe for disaster really. Big, fat tears began to roll silently down his cheek. He simply said, "I don't know. I'm just tired of not being good enough. Of people thinking I'm a freak or not normal. And I'm not sure I could take it if you ever came to that conclusion too." Despite his words, Sixty was swaying into Allen's grip, seeking out the comfort of his arms even though he knew he shouldn't. But one last moment wouldn't hurt. He could always treasure it as a last memento.

Allen took the silent cue of Sixty’s body language and wrapped him up in both arms, holding him close. He hated seeing him cry, but it seemed to happen at a startlingly high rate.

“I know. But I don’t think that. I love you, and I think I should get a say in whether this relationship continues.” Allen said firmly. He was silent for a few moments before continuing “Scott’s an ass with a smart mouth on him. He knows how to say the most hurtful things, and I’m sorry you were on the receiving end of that. But it wasn’t a total disaster. You’re just not used to socializing in big groups, and this was a difficult night anyways.”

"I'm sorry." Sixty sighed and tried to reel himself back in. "This is exactly why I stick to my own company most of the time." It had started off so promising too, after the initial bumpy start. Sixty had hoped that after the roughhousing he might find a bit of acceptance. Instead he ended up alienating himself and upsetting Allen to boot. "If I could change the past, I would. I should have tried so much harder at being nice. At trying to fit in. I shouldn't have been myself."

“Shhhh” Allen hushed Sixty, shaking his head to rebuke all of the things he was saying, “You were trying  _ too _ hard to fit in, I thought. You’re a wonderful person, Sixty. But not when you’re scared and nervous. It’s hard and I’m not mad at you, but you just need to...relax. Just a little. Let them be nice.”

He rocked his boyfriend back and forth, just a little for reassurance. “But for tonight, if you want to go home, I’ll go with you.” Allen said, “Just...please don’t take this as the end of the world. It’s not. It’s just a bumpy moment.”

For a second all Sixty heard was that he wasn't nice when he was scared and nervous. Even though that wasn't quite what Allen said, his mind seized on it and he berated himself for being an awful human being.

"I don't think they want me here. I don't want to ruin their night any more than I already have." Sixty wiped at his face and looked towards the stairs. Part of him wished he could go back down and start over but that wasn't a luxury he was afforded. Before he could ask anything stupid, the doorbell went, making him jump. It seemed that the pizza delivery had arrived.

Pulling back slightly to look up at his boyfriend, Allen asked softly, “What do  _ you _ want to do, Sixty? Regardless of the team, regardless of what you think they think.” He wasn’t hoping for one thing more than another, but he wished Sixty would be kinder to himself right now. The pizza delivery spooked him as well, and Allen cursed softly as he pulled away from Sixty to answer the door. He greeted the delivery man with a calm smile and an extra tip, taking the pizzas into his arms and setting them on the counter. Then, he turned to watch Sixty, waiting for him to decide what to do next.

"I don't know." Sixty jammed his hands in his pockets. "I already said I was leaving and nobody seemed keen to contradict that. It would seem weird if I were to appear again. But I would like to try to make amends." The last bit was barely more than a whisper. Hope in the face of everything that maybe, just maybe, he could be something more than what his past had shaped him to be. An overachieving failure.

Allen felt like maybe, with that answer, there was a little bit of hope left.

“I think that most of the team would be happy to see you back.” He said with a soft smile, “You definitely weren’t wanted out by everyone.” It needed to be said, so Allen warned him “Scott's angry now, and I doubt he’ll be kind to you. You’ll have to ignore him and just talk to the rest of the team.” If that idiot tried anything though, Allen wouldn’t hesitate to kick his ass.

Swallowing thickly, Sixty nodded. He could probably ignore Scott and even be pleasant about it. As long as he didn't rise to any baiting.

"Could you maybe go and ask them first? I don't want to assume or walk in there without any warning." His stomach let out a rumble, the smell of pizza getting to him despite his best efforts. Lunchtime had been a long time ago and it had been interrupted to boot.

Allen nodded, more than willing to go as a first sort of scout. “Sure thing. As long as you promise not to run off on me.” He said, leaning up to press a kiss to Sixty’s cheek. He hadn’t forgotten that his boyfriend had just tried to break up with him, after all. Turning, Allen walked down into the basement and was met with what he had expected all along - Brad and Marsha curled up together and murmuring worriedly at each other while Polly and Scott had an all out screaming match in progress. As soon as Allen entered the room, they all turned to him - Scott’s face gleeful while the rest were various versions of stricken.

“So the Pizza arrived. And Sixty would like to come back down and have another go at this whole thing, if you’re willing to give him a chance.” Allen explained. Brad and Marsha immediately nodded, while Scott folded in on himself, arms crossing as his expression turned sour yet again.

“Fuck that,” he snapped, “if he’s going to come back and be a snappy bitch to me again I may as well go home.”

Allen growled in response, announcing “Maybe you should, if all you’re going to do is be an ass.” The two men glared at one another, appearing to be at a stalemate.

Listening from the top of the stairs, Sixty almost wished he hadn't. Because while he couldn't see the nods, he could clearly hear Scott's vehement resistance. Resigned, he wandered away from the stairs. The only thing keeping him there was the promise to Allen that he wouldn't leave. Doing this hungry probably wasn't the best idea either. His stomach was starting to hurt but he was too proud to ask if he could eat a slice of pizza before leaving. Sometimes being an all or nothing kind of person had its drawbacks. In the end, while he waited he pulled his phone out and began to compose a text to Allen.

“Oh come off it!” Polly exclaimed, “We all don’t complain when you show up late or have to call us to pick you up from some dingy back alley! Just shut your mouth for twenty minutes if you can’t say anything nice.”

That got an outraged snarl from Scott, but he seemed to sense that he was outnumbered. “Fine. But I’m not going to play along.” He muttered sourly, standing up and positioning himself in a chair away from the group and hunkering down in it.

“Good.” Allen said with finality, turning to the stairs and calling up “Sixty? Can you bring the pizza down please?” He hoped nothing had gone wrong in this like five minute break away from his boyfriend.


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to calm, and an understanding is met

Phone shoved deep back into his pocket, Sixty picked the pizza up and hesitantly made his way down into the basement. The message could always wait. Downstairs, he stood next to Allen, feeling lost and silly. He hadn't planned on ever setting a foot back in the basement and yet there he was. Letting Allen disseminate the pizzas until only two were left in his hand, Sixty bit his lip. It was his own pizza and Scott's left. Wordlessly, he extended the box towards the sulking man with a hopeful little smile.

Marsha and Brad gave Sixty hesitant yet very welcoming smiles as he reentered the basement, and Polly smiled and thanked Sixty when she was given her pizza. They had left space for the two of them to sit back down again, clearly welcoming them back. Scott, on the other hand, was scowling the whole time, and sneered at Sixty when he extended the box towards him. He was luckily too far away for Polly to elbow, but she did reach out and smack him in the shoe. Still scowling, he snatched the box out of Sixty’s hand and went back to ignoring him.

  
  


Well, Sixty could say that he had tried. He knew Allen had said that Scott should be ignored but, Sixty being Sixty, saw that as a challenge to win him over. Now that everyone had food, he sat down next to Allen.

"Thank you for the pizza," he said to Allen before looking at the rest of the room. "And thank you for allowing me back." He opened the box as dug in, letting out a small sigh around the first mouthful. "Oh fuck me that's good. Totally worth the wait."

“Of course.” Polly said, smiling as she opened her own box.

Brad piped up quietly from the couch “Didn’t want you to leave in the first place.” He and Marsha were swapping halves of their pizza so they could get more toppings, but he wanted to say it.

Allen chuckled as Sixty let out that very sensual moan around the pizza. “I’m glad.” He agreed, before taking his own bite as well. Nerves had made him forget his hunger, but the food was greatly appreciated by his stomach nonetheless.

Subtly keeping an eye on the room, Sixty watched what was acceptable and what wasn't. Hesitantly, he shuffled his box towards Allen, offering up some of his for a taste. After Allen, he pushed it towards the centre of the group. "If anyone wants a taste, they're more than welcome to it." He sighed a little as he ate and offered Allen a smile. "The world doesn't quite feel like it's ending now that I'm not so hungry. Didn't get a chance to eat since lunch got interrupted." It was said quietly, still shy about addressing the group at large. But Sixty was trying, he really was.

Brad laughed at that, then paused as if trying to decide if he was allowed to laugh. “That’s why I’ve always got snacks, cause the world sucks when you’re hungry!” He explained, cautiously reaching out and stealing a piece of pizza from Sixty’s box.

Allen was happily munching away, just watching and monitoring the situation, but he had to add “If you ever wonder where crumbs are spontaneously manifesting from, it’s usually Brad.”

Despite himself, Sixty was contemplating poking the bear by directly offering Scott a slice of his pizza to try. He looked at the box then back to Scott and his box again.

"We once had a body brought in, nobody could figure out where the stench was coming from. He had a wizard beard and I swear it was it's own ecosystem in there." Sixty shrugged. "Put me off even trying to grow a beard. Even though I heard they're great for catching crumbs."

Scott wasn’t even looking at the others at this point, absolutely fuming at the fact that they were all entertaining someone who was such an asshole. He was turned away from the group somewhat, just eating his pizza and glaring at nothing.

“Oh my god” Marsha said with a fake gag, “that’s gross as hell!” She giggled, adding with a wink “Although beard burn can be really sexy.” She was clearly trying very hard to be normal and not nervous.

A choice was to be made. Sixty could shut down the conversation about sex and probably come across as an asshole again. Or he could dive in. "Never had the pleasure of experiencing it." He turned to Allen with a sly grin. "Want to change that?"

Allen spluttered around his pizza as Sixty gave him that sly look, but it was received well by the team, who all laughed and generally made encouraging “ooooh” noises. “Hmmm always thought about it.” Allen admitted once he had recovered, then shot Sixty a sly look of his own, adding “Think I’d look sexy with a handlebar mustache?”

A small snicker shook Sixty as he laughed silently at the image. "Only if you get mutton chops to go with it." He peered at Polly. "You seem more the goatee type." Shuffling closer, Sixty snuggled closer to Allen, wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned into him.

Polly laughed at that, replying “Guess I’d never imagined myself as a facial hair sort of person.” She didn’t seem bothered by the comment though, chuckling to herself at the mental image. Allen gladly tucked Sixty against himself, happy to have his boyfriend snuggling against him again. Unfortunately, this drew the ire of their silent group member, who let out a harsh snort and a snide “Seems like somebody’s done throwing their tantrum.”

As much as possible, Sixty had tried to play nice, abide by the arbitrary social rules of the group. But even he had his limits. "Are you always this much of a brat? Or do you have unresolved daddy issues which are being triggered because you think I'm stealing your self-appointed father figure?" He shouldn't have said that. Sixty knew he'd overstepped as soon as he opened his mouth but it was too late.

Absolute silence reigned over the group for at least a solid thirty seconds, with everyone in the room in various states of shock over the exchange that had just happened. Finally, Scott stood up abruptly, discarding the pizza box and glaring absolute daggers at Sixty. Allen instinctively shifted to be in front of Sixty slightly, wanting to deflect any attack. But instead of launching himself at the pair, Scott simply growled “Fuck you and fuck this! I’m going home, and don’t expect me to play nice with you any more after today!” With that, he stormed past them and up the stairs, far away banging heralding the fact that he had left the house.

A quip of "definite daddy issues" was right up against Sixty's teeth but he bit down on it viciously. Now was not the time or place to make such a comment - even he could tell that much.

"That was him playing nice?" was what actually tumbled out. Quickly, he followed it up with a more muted "sorry. Do you think he'll be okay?" Because despite his annoyance, he didn't actually want to cause any harm to Scott.

Allen sighed as Sixty broke the silence, assuring him “Yeah, he’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about him.” Polly pulled a face, muttering under her breath “Yeah, you’ll just have to deal with the bar stench tomorrow.” Clearly she was siding with Sixty on this one, still aggravated from her earlier argument with the other man. Brad was clearly distraught over the conflict, but Marsha piped up to add “He’s tough. And an asshole sometimes. But we all are I guess.”

"I've met plenty of assholes in my life," Sixty growled. "Not that it's a competition but none of you quite measure up to their standards. Not even Scott." He felt a little guilty about making Scott leave like that. It was entirely his fault. And now conversation was stalling again and Sixty couldn't help but feel that he was the odd one out and the one causing all the friction. "I really am sorry about how this evening has gone. I didn't realise quite how much of an antisocial bastard I am."

Now the three remaining teammates were watching him carefully, interested in the fact that he was apologizing. There was a silence again, but not charged or tense like the previous one, each member mulling over their reaction to Sixty’s apology. Finally, Brad said quietly “I mean, it’s tough. I know we’re a lot. But I, uh, I mean I appreciate the apology. But I’m not mad at you, I know that.”

If Sixty were a different man, he might have brought up his past, tried to explain away his inadequacies. But he wasn't, he was resigned to the knowledge that he was a flawed human who couldn't quite adapt to social groups and left it at that. Although he could try to make up for it the next day when the team were coming to finish their case. The morgue would magically be stocked up on snacks, water and anything else that might help with a hangover.

"I didn't think you were mad as such. Just had a general dislike and distrust of me. Which I didn't exactly do much to dispel." Cards on the table, Sixty looked at each team member in turn. "I appreciate how you have each other's backs. And that you were willing to give me so many chances despite your misgivings."

There was some awkward shifting as each member tried to decide just how blunt and honest they would be in return. But since Sixty was being so open, it felt safe to be open as well. Marsha spoke up, glancing at the other two as she replied “Well...we were a little suspicious, honestly. You being the captain’s boyfriend makes you important, but we worried you were stressing him out. That stuff in the morgue, the yelling in the office...” Allen realized with a sick twist of his stomach that the team had mistaken Connor for Sixty that day, but now wasn’t the time to explain. “But you seem nice now.” Marsha continued, “Like, when you’re not being snobby and bossy, you’re pretty funny and chill. I wouldn’t mind if you stick around more.” There were nods from Polly and Brad at that, who seemed to be in general agreement.

Glancing at Allen, Sixty mouthed "office?" at him in confusion. He had never been to the SWAT office and they had never yelled in his one - especially not when the team was around. "I like to think he isn't dating me just for my massive dick," Sixty teased. "And that I might have some other redeeming qualities he likes. Though you almost didn't have to worry about it when we went upstairs, I did offer him an out." Sixty had no idea why he had tagged on that last bit, it wasn't the team's business at all. But he had said he preferred directness and honesty earlier. Logic dictated that he showed his underbelly first once the initial truce had been established.

Allen murmured “Connor” in response to Sixty’s question, hoping the knowledge that the team had overheard that outburst as well wouldn’t hurt Sixty too badly. Brad visibly paled at the admission that Sixty had tried to break things off, and both Marsha and Polly looked concerned.

“God, I...sorry we pushed you so far.” Marsha muttered, looking away guiltily, “That would have sucked.”

Allen shook his head and wrapped an arm around his boyfriend, insisting gently “It’s all okay. Tensions rode a little high, it’s been a rough week.” He didn’t need everyone in the room playing the blame game.

A half shrug was Sixty's reaction. "I may be a bastard but I like to think I'm not controlling and holding anyone captive." He mulled over the fact that the team had heard Connor's little visit. It was something to talk about later. "Rough week doesn't even cover it. And to think you guys do this kind of shit on the regular. At least in the army we knew when we were on the frontline rather than your limbo of finding out you have a situation at short notice." He snuggled a little closer to Allen. Now that things were a lot calmer and his stomach was full, Sixty could almost call himself content.

Allen breathed out a sigh of relief as Sixty snuggled in, seeming to relax. That was good, that’s what he had been hoping for. He really just wanted the few people he actually kept in his life to get along, which seemed like a tougher project than he would have hoped. Polly shrugged in return, saying, “It’s a job. We all have our cross to bear, I’m sure.” She turned a knowing glance to Sixty, not based on any facts or overheard conversation, just intuition.

It was almost definitely an assumption but Sixty couldn't help the small shard of paranoia at the sweeping statement. "That we do. Some more than others." He huffed out a deep breath. "Do tell me to piss off if I'm too nosy but what's the deal with the team? You all seem very cosy."

Allen patted Sixty reassuringly on the side, feeling him tense up a tiny bit. Polly was just a bit more observant than the rest of the team, but he knew she didn’t know anything actually personal. He didn’t blame his boyfriend for being nervous though, he was absolutely in his rights to be that way.

“Oh we’re all really close.” Polly replied casually, clearly not offended, “Have to be, given how much we rely on each other not to die.” She gestured with a thumb towards Marsha and Brad, explaining “Those two are practically married. Scott fucks around constantly but outside of the team. And I’m taken. But we don’t care much for physical boundaries, it’s...” She paused, clearly trying to figure out how to explain.

“I think once you’ve held someone’s arm in place so the bone doesn’t come out, a cuddle isn’t a big deal.” Allen offered with a soft chuckle.

"Can't say the same for the army. You could hold a man's guts in for him and next time you see him in the mess hall, he blanks you." Sixty yawned a little. "I'm glad you guys have each other. And I can appreciate how accepting a stranger into your midst might be well intentioned but difficult." He wriggled around a little. "Will Scott come to finish your case tomorrow? Or will he call in sick do you think?"

Allen hummed thoughtfully at that, thinking about how different Sixty’s experience with other people had been. No wonder it was hard for him to trust - he’d been isolated his whole life. Now though, Allen decided, he wouldn’t have to live like that. “It’s fifty fifty.” Allen explained, accompanied by nods from the group, “He’ll either skip and sulk over it, or he’ll come and be a real ass the whole time. Might be better if he does skip, to be honest.”

"If he does turn up, which I think I would prefer, do you have any hints and tips to smooth things over?" He really was trying his hardest. Drama done and out of the way, he could focus on the positive interactions now that he knew the worst. It was odd perhaps, how all his interactions seemed to start off with him sounding out negative reactions first before anything else.

There were several raised eyebrows at that statement, and Brad asked “Wait, you  _ want _ him to come be a dick? Cause he’s definitely gonna be a dick. He’s in one of those moods.” They all knew those moods. “He’s going to be tough to win back.” Allen admitted with a sigh, “He’s one of those weird...likes you or doesn’t kind of guys. And now he’s decided he doesn’t. I guess I’d say don’t back down? But that’s a good way to start a fight at work...”

Smiling softly, Sixty craned his neck to look at Allen. "I always did like a challenge." He wanted to be friendly with his boyfriend's team. If Sixty remembered correctly, Scott was the one who would find anything and the reason he shouldn't have any toys down there. Maybe he should hide a couple for a giggle. "I don't want him to be a dick. But we all work through our issues in different ways. I can handle his moods, he probably can't outdo Connor."

Allen chuckled, admitting “I guess you have a point. You’re no stranger to someone with those kind of mood swings, huh?” Even knowing Connor as short of a time as he had, Allen could tell he had some similarities to Scott’s personality.

“I’d say hit on him but that’s not really a viable strategy huh?” Marsha joked, trying to help lighten the mood, “He’ll chill out after he gets a good lay or two, mark my words. Still sulky but less violent.”

"I have been reliably informed that he will find anything hidden. How about I hide a few choice dildos? Or will he see that as a 'go fuck yourself' message?" Sixty was already giggling a little at the idea of what he could hide and where.

That got some general laughs from the group, and Allen took a few minutes before admitting “I mean it might at least diffuse the situation. Honestly it’ll just take time...he’ll need to see you making steps to stick around and just relax before he’ll really let go of it I think. But who knows.”

A plan was forming in Sixty's mind. He was going to put together a special treasure hunt just for Scott while the others worked the case. "Wonderful." Sixty's eyes strayed to the TV and he snorted. "They still play that ad? I swear that has been on more than one 'worst advert' compilations I've seen on a video binge."

Allen wasn’t sure if it was wonderful or not, but he was glad his boyfriend seemed hopeful instead of despondent. He was about to say something when Marsha exclaimed excitedly “You like those too? I watch those compilations all the time!!”

It took a bit of effort to roll his neck so Sixty could look at Marsha. "Nothing beats the misery of being up at 3am than one of those dumb things. Except maybe the sneezing baby animal ones." Sixty fished out his phone to find a video to show, only his screen unlocked to the half written message to Allen. Guilty he tried to close it but only managed to send it instead. Cursing, he tried to think of a way to stop his boyfriend from reading it.

Marsha was immediately scooting down to see what Sixty was showing her, chattering excitedly about which baby animals she thought were the cutest when they were sneezing or sleeping. Polly scooted over to make room for her, and suddenly the atmosphere of casual fun was back. Allen felt the buzz of his phone in his pocket but ignored it for now - whatever that was could wait until they were in the taxi home.

In the end, Sixty was sat between Allen's legs, back to his chest and holding his phone while the team was huddled around them. It was oddly nice, Sixty appreciated the closeness and didn't feel claustrophobic at all.

"This one should be good," he muttered as a suggestion came up. Ten minutes of kittens and puppies falling asleep at inopportune moments. He hit play and settled in to watch, eyes blinking slowly. Figuring it wouldn't hurt if he missed a couple of them, he let his eyes slip shut just to rest. Sixty didn't notice how his hand holding the phone drooped, the phone slipping from his grasp as he nodded off.

Allen happily held his boyfriend as they all gathered around to watch the videos. He could see the phone from this angle, but it really didn’t matter. He could feel Sixty relaxing and he could enjoy the feeling of them all getting along. And just when he thought this couldn’t get any cuter, Sixty dozed off. The phone was caught by a particularly fast acting Polly, and everyone in the group had a good little quiet chuckle at Sixty’s sudden nap.

“I’ll take him home, can someone call me a taxi?” Allen whispered, and Marsha pulled out her phone right away to get it done.

It hadn't been Sixty's intention to fall asleep. The last thing he remembered was closing his eyes just for a moment, not worrying about missing a few clips. Next, he was blinking awake and a little disoriented in an unfamiliar place.

"Fletch?" He asked and rolled to look up at his boyfriend.

Allen was sure he’d never seen a more adorable sight than a sleepy Sixty curled up in his arms as he carried him out to the taxi. He had stayed asleep until the vehicle started to approach Allen’s apartment.

“Hey darling” Allen murmured, smiling softly at him, “We’re in a taxi, I’m taking you to my place to get some sleep.”

"Oh," Sixty frowned a little. "Did I mess up again?" He worried his lip, trying to figure out what he could have done wrong now. Maybe there was something in his search history that had popped up a video which offended someone. Or it was considered rude to accidentally fall asleep in company. He was going to have to apologise (again) in the morgue tomorrow it seemed.

“Not at all.” Allen reassured him, reaching up to brush a few stray hairs off his forehead, “You did an amazing job tonight and I’m really proud of you.” The taxi slowed to a halt and Allen said “Here, I’ll get you inside. You just relax, don’t worry about a thing.” He kind of liked being able to take care of Sixty like this, it was adorable and sweet in a way he had never really thought about before

A small mumble of acknowledgement was all the response Sixty had. Warmth radiated through him at the praise. "Will they want to come tomorrow?" He asked even as the world moved around him. Being carried by Allen was certainly nice and he could nuzzle against his chest and neck with a content little sigh.

Allen’s heart skipped a beat as sixty nuzzled up against him. It was so cute, he wished he could record it somehow. Alas, with both hands full, he had to concentrate fully on getting into the apartment. “Of course they will.” He reassured, leaning on the door to open it and shuffle in, “They really liked you, promise.” Except Scott, but he was a problem for awake Sixty.

The concept of people liking him was a strange one and Sixty smiled at the very thought. "Good. I liked them too." As he was deposited on the bed, Sixty reached up sleepily towards Allen, making a grabby hand motion. "Cuddles?"

Allen wasn’t sure he could handle much more cuteness, but Sixty was intent on surprising him over and over. “Let me just change out of my jeans, okay?” He said, stepping back and shimmying them off. Sleeping in their clothes was bad enough, but jeans were the worst to doze off in. Now just in his boxers, Allen rejoined his boyfriend and offered himself up for whatever cuddles Sixty wanted.

This was most definitely bliss. Sixty sighed as he snuggled in, delighted to fund Allen's chest the perfect place to rest his head. Half asleep, warm and safe, he craned his neck to press a lazy kiss to Allen's chin. "Thank you," he murmured, "for not giving up on me." Settling back down, he was well on his way to falling asleep again.

“Of course” Allen reassured Sixty, wrapping him up firmly in his arms. He didn’t intend to give up on him, or on them, and he was going to show that through his actions as best he could. With a warm, happy body curled up against him, it didn’t take Allen long at all to fall asleep as well.


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion of the mystery is upon us! Will the team find the killer? Will the sudden introduction of sex toys help or hinder Sixty's relationship with them? Read on to find out!

In the morning Sixty was up and writing a list of things he would need from home or picking up along the way. 5 different dildos (new from a shop), snacks, water bottles and some fizzy things too. He could make it work if Allen could give him lifts. Quietly, Sixty waited for his boyfriend to wake up.

Allen took a little longer to wake up, but he didn't sleep past the usual time his alarm would go off to wake him for work. When he blinked awake and found that he was alone in his bed, a slight bit of panic did set in.

"Sixty?" He called out, trying to sit up too fast and only getting halfway.

"Morning gorgeous." Sixty leaned against the doorframe a little bashful. "I don't have much of a memory of coming home. Sorry." He didn't even notice how he called Allen's house home. It tripped off his tongue without a second thought, more preoccupied with what the team might think of him passing out like that. Sixty wasn't too proud of himself but he had been so exhausted, the last couple of days had finally caught up with him.

Allen noticed, but all it made him do was smile up at Sixty like he was the most perfect sight in the world. Which, in fairness, he was. "That's okay. You fell asleep, so Marsha called us a cab and I brought you home. I hope that was alright." He explained, wanting to make sure that he hadn't embarrassed Sixty or made him feel uncomfortable by making that decision.

"I trust you." Sixty shrugged with more ease than he actually had. "I just hope the team didn't find it offensive." Approaching the bed, Sixty leaned down to kiss Allen. He needed to include his boyfriend in the plans for the morning, getting around on a bike was going to be the quickest. "So, I have a few things to get ready for today. Want to go to the 24/7 sex shop for stuff? And how's your handwriting? I need 5 letters taped to the bottom of some cheap dildos."

"Oh no, of course not" Allen reassured him, waving a hand as if to shoo those concerns away, "The team wasn't offended at all, I suspect a lot of them dozed off as well after we let." He leaned up happily into the kiss, smiling again as they parted. This was perfect. Even the weird requests didn't faze him, simply drawing a chuckle out of him instead. "My handwriting is totally adequate and I am down to go to the sex shop for you. Want to take my bike?" He offered.

If Sixty was asked to describe Allen in one word in that moment, he would have picked 'perfect'. Not flawless but exactly what Sixty could ever hope for.

"Seeing as my bike is still at the DPD, if you wouldn't mind carting my sore ass on a few errands before work, that would be perfect. I can fill you in on the plan as we go." He was going to have a letter from Scott's name on the base of each dildo, a little puzzle just for him to figure out. And the prize at the end was going to be...keeping the five dildos. Hopefully it would end up a giggle rather than another offence. Sixty was determined to win over the whole team.

“Sounds like a Plan.” Allen confirmed, nodding and standing up out of the bed with a soft groan. Before leaving to get dressed and grab some kind of breakfast for the road, he leaned up and stole one more kiss just for good measure. “I won’t be long, grab the riding gear and get suited up” Allen said, knowing they didn’t have infinite time on their hands till they both had to be at work.

There was something infinitely pleasing about putting on riding gear. It was an armour not just to protect him while riding but Sixty also felt more confident in himself. The slight swagger was impossible to get rid of. Sixty had a mental route already in mind that he wanted them to hit. First stop the sex shop (and maybe see if anything caught his boyfriend's eye), then the supermarket for snacks and drinks. Plus lunch for both of them. If all went to plan, they would arrive before the team and have time to set up and maybe even make out a little while Sixty pinned Allen against his desk.

Allen similarly loved getting suited up, be that in SWAT gear or in his riding leathers. But even better was seeing Sixty in his. Now  _ that _ was hot. He made sure to say as much as he sidled up to Sixty and wrapped him up in a hug once he was ready to go. Sure, they needed to get on the road, but he also needed to make sure his boyfriend knew how gorgeous he was.

Leather against leather was a bit sticky and Sixty giggled as they squeaked against each other.

"Let's go sex toy shopping. Your challenge is to help find the five cheapest but most interestingly different plugs and dildos." He settled on the bike behind Allen and enjoyed leaning fully into him in a hug from behind.

Allen laughed along with the squeaking, and started the bike up nice and slow as Sixty settled in behind him. “Sounds like a blast.” He said, already grinning. He was going to end up embarrassed at some point, but it was worth it. Having Sixty pressed against him riding down the road was already more than worth it.

In the sex shop Sixty moved around with confidence, knowing exactly where to head. And there was a bargain bin he wanted to rifle through too.

"What do you think of this one?" He was dangling a luminous green, modest sized jelly plug in his fingers. There were already two other toys tucked under his arm, some beads and a vibrating dildo. He wanted variety if at all possible.

Allen barked out a laugh at the lime green color, replying, “Yeah, that’s a good laugh. And a decent plug too.” He had been doing research, in his off time, trying to play catch up with his more experienced partner. Allen wasn’t quite up to picking anything out yet, so he was mostly just following Sixty around. “How many more do you need?” He asked, eyeing the fact that his boyfriends arms were already filling up.

"S-C-O-T-" Sixty pointed at each toy. "-one more T." He smilee cheerily. Then he fixed his boyfriend with a look. "Like I would buy anything but good stuff. Even for someone who hates me." His eyes alighted on the bargain bin and spied a novelty plug with spiky texture. "Anything caught your eye while here?" He asked as he grabbed the toy.

Allen chuckled, saying “You’re far nicer than he deserves, you know.” He had a feeling Sixty was going to get to Scott in a very effective but rarely used method - by making him feel bad. “I mean...for us? Maybe.” Allen admitted, feeling weirdly shy. It was odd, being the one with less experience in the couple. Back while they were browsing though, he had spotted a plug with a remote for vibrations, mind immediately filling up with images of teasing from afar.

All but bouncing on his toes, Sixty bounded over to Allen, eyes bright. "Show me! Show me!" He was excited that he could share this with Allen. It made him preen.

The enthusiasm from Sixty was both adorable and extremely helpful, as it soothed some of Allen's nerves. Having him be so enthusiastic meant that there was less of a chance of being met with rejection. "I thought this might be interesting, since we both seem to enjoy some teasing and challenge..." He said, leading Sixty over and gesturing to the toy.

There was zero shame in Sixty as he grabbed the box and eagerly began reading it. The range on the toy was fairly decent, it was an okay brand too. Probably not one he would have picked out himself but if Allen wanted to play, he was all in.

"Which one of us has which end?" A smirk twisted his mouth. "I can't wear a plug for another few days so if you wanted to play today...." he trailed off suggestively, adding the toy to the pile in his hands. Turning, Sixty grabbed some lube on the way to the till, giving absolutely zero fucks about the incredulous look the assistant was giving him for buying six toys at once. He was half tempted to reassure her they wouldn't use them all at once but instead kept his mouth shut and half an eye on his boyfriend.

Allen swallowed hard as he imagined the scenario playing out. Letting Sixty take control was a very arousing idea, especially if it ended with him fucking Allen. Mmmm that was an idea indeed. “I suppose we might have that to look forward to tonight then...” he replied with a smile. As they headed to the cash register, Allen still couldn’t shake that oddly shy feeling. Quietly, he asked “Was there anything  _ you _ wanted to look at?”

Turning, Sixty grabbed Allen's shoulder and gave him a slow once over. "I am always game to look at you." He winked for emphasis. Flirting shamelessly in public wasn't something he found any problems with. It also brought the most delightful blush to Allen's cheek which he just had to kiss.

Allen was absolutely unused to blushing, but it seemed like Sixty was going to be introducing him to a lot of new things. He gamely tried to keep a straight face, and wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's waist to guide him out of the store. "Glad to be of use." Allen joked with a chuckle, trying to play it off.

Stuffing the collection of dildos in his backpack, Sixty gallantly waited for Allen to get on before clambering on the bike. "Pit stop at the supermarket and then work?" Sixty was getting quite excited at the idea of seeing the team. He wanted to spoil them a little too with snacks.

Back on the bike, Allen felt more like himself, even revving the bike a little loudly on turns to show off for his boyfriend. "Wherever you want to go, I'll take you" He promised, grinning behind his helmet. It was honestly pretty adorable that Sixty wanted so badly to treat his team.

The supermarket was quick work and Sixty looked to Allen for a little guidance for favourite snacks and any to avoid. He even snuck in a couple of little things for Allen too. Before they got back on the bike, Sixty snagged his boyfriend to kiss him properly, pushing him up against the bike. "Didn't want you forgetting you're wonderful and I love you." Sixty grinned and jammed the helmet on his head, ready to go to work.

Allen trailed after Sixty amicably, enjoying the energy his boyfriend had and happy to see him enjoying himself. He was significantly more happy to be pushed against his bike and kissed, leaning into the kiss with a low hum. All this confidence was sexy on Sixty, and Allen murmured as much. “I know you love me baby, and I can barely keep my hands off you.” He said, cupping the helmet in both hands and pressing a cheeky kiss to the visor. “Love you too.”

Excited, Sixty wriggled a little, his grin at the kiss hidden under his helmet. Having Allen be so playfully loving was a wonderful change to the stress of the last couple of days. "Let's get to work. We should probably have time to make out like teenagers before your team turns up."

The ride to the morgue was surprisingly quick. Or maybe it just felt quicker than usual because Sixty was enjoying the feel of being pressed up against his boyfriend as they wove through traffic. He led them into the morgue, was flipping lights on and bringing in what little bit of life was to be found in such a place. Directing Allen to a trolley with the treats, Sixty himself quickly scribbled letters on scraps of paper, attached them to the dildos and hid them. If all went according to plan, Scott would find them in an order that spelt out c-o-s-t-t and he would have to ponder just what was going on.

Allen barked out a laugh at that, putting his helmet on and setting about getting them to work. He was still apprehensive about today at work, yes, but he felt so good just having Sixty by his side. It was hard to be too worried. Once at work, Allen did his best to keep a professional distance and greeted his other coworkers as he and Sixty headed into the morgue. It was official that the SWAT team was conducting training down there anyways, so there was no curiosity or confusion to see him follow Sixty. Setting up a snack table while his boyfriend set up a dildo scavenger hunt in his office was definitely one of the weirdest things Allen had ever done at work, and he said with a grin "You really do know how to spice up a man's life, don't you?"

Once Sixty was done too, he wrapped himself around Allen from behind, hands around his stomach and lips at his neck. "I sure do. Just cook with a bit of chilli powder, throw in a couple of jalapenos, ghost peppers if you're feeling extra spicy." He was giggling into Allen's skin and playfully rocking them from side to side, back to the morgue door. The team would be there any moment but he still wanted a few precious seconds with his boyfriend, just the two of them being silly. And if the team barged in on that, it was their fault, they should knock and wait before entering his domain.

Allen laughed at that, the sound clear and ringing in the empty morgue. Empty except for the two of them, enjoying their time together. He almost wishes they could stay like this forever, as he leaned his head back against Sixty’s chest, enjoying the contact. His arms landed comfortably over top of Sixty’s where they encircled his waist. Sadly though, all good things come to an end, and there was a knock on the door to the morgue. “Come in.” Allen called, and the team shuffled in, all smiles except for... Scott scowled his way into the room, all but glaring at Sixty. He was there, but as expected he was not happy to be. His eyes were surrounded by dark bags and he smelled once again of cigarettes.

The sight of the whole team bumbling in made Sixty genuinely smile. He waved at them and gestured to the snack table. "Thought you might appreciate a bit of fuel to plough on through the case." He beckoned them closer, leaning in conspiratorial in his whisper. "There have been developments in the case overnight. And intrepid smoker spotted a curious exchange between two shady fellows not far from where the body of the alleged heart attack victim was found. Clues have been left throughout the morgue that will either lead to the identity of the killer or mocks us for being naive. Sadly, we won't know until we complete this side quest." Little did Allen know that on the back of each letter, in a different pen, Sixty had scribbled A-L-L-E-N as a backup clue. "Yesterday we left off with waiting for the samples to come back. Cultures have been grown, it is now your turn to match them up." In the lab section were two trays for the team to play with and identify what cultures matched the victim.

The smile was returned by the members of the team who weren’t resolutely glaring at him, and Brad even chirped a ‘good morning’ at Sixty. The little introduction had the team immediately pulled back into the mystery, much more relaxed and eager to get involved in the mystery. “We’re on it!” Marsha announced, she and Brad and Polly heading over to the trays with interest. Scott only moved from his spot at the door when Allen gave him a stern look, slouching over to the group but standing away and not participating.

Herd Scott to the snacks table. His first clue is hidden in the fruit bowl. Sixty texted Allen. Amicably, he followed the team to the labs, happy to listen in on their chatter but only provide assistance when they got well and truly stuck. The next part of the day might be a bit gory - trying to identify the needle type used. He had some pictures of needle wounds that needed to be matched up with the correct instrument.

Allen saw the text and nodded to himself in confirmation. He would do his best. As the rest of the team looked at the samples and inched closer to needle identification, Scott just stood there. He looked completely detached, but Allen knew he was watching carefully. So when he jerked a head towards himself where he was standing still in the main lab, Scott skulked over to him with little hesitation. “Drink some water and eat something.” Allen ordered, with little to no fanfare. They both knew the redhead didn’t take care of himself after a rough night, so it wasn’t unusual for his boss to be tough with him. Hissing through gritted teeth, Scott obeyed, shuffling towards the snack table.

Half an ear on the group, Sixty gleefully watched Scott skulk to the snacks table. Meanwhile, the team had established the cultures grown, noted the oddity of how the samples matched the control they took the previous night. Parking those observations, and letting them write things up on the whiteboard, Sixty steered them to the needles. On the bottom of each description was a note of where certain needles were available and what for. The one they were going to (hopefully) pick out as the one used was only available in hospitals and morgues. The case was slowly coming together, all the strange little facts swirling into an almost coherent picture. Sixty was quite excited.

Marsha pulled a face when she saw the needles, but other than her reaction the team wasn’t much bothered at all by the rather gruesome concept. They worked together, a little more slowly than yesterday (being both down a member and a bit more invested in the concept), but they still made progress. Scott, meanwhile, was sullenly picking at the snack table. He didn’t want to be here but he also hated losing or backing down, so here he was. Allen situated himself at the door to watch from a distance, and what a show it was. The minute Scott spotted the item in the fruit bowl he was immediately plucking it out, and his face went on quite the emotional journey as he stared at the lime green buttplug. It took all of Allen’s self control not to laugh at the strangled “what the fuck??” That escaped.

Under the letter C, in smaller scribble was a note.  Your next clue will be by the poison responsible. The soft, almost horrified muttering had Sixty turning away to hide his snickering and that was the only reason he caught Marsha's look. "I think we could use someone to write all our findings up on the board, help us keep track of things like the likely agent used to induce the heart attack symptoms, the match of cultures between victim and the cultures grown from what we now suspect to be cells under the nails from a struggle. And, which needle was used. It might just start giving you a picture and a better idea of who to look for." Behind him, he hoped Scott would take the bait and go to the cupboard to find some rather lovely anal beads along with the letter 'O'. The 'S' was with a vibrating dildo in the culture growing area, the 'T' was stuck to a dildo with a suction cup in the office and the final 'T' was in the needle drawer, attached to a prostate massager. Hopefully by the time Scott found the all, the team would have identified the needle type, confirmed the agent with a titration test and deduced that whoever did it had to have access to the morgue. While Sixty had an alibi lined up to visit later, Allen did not.

Allen watched out of the corner of his eye as both parts of his team managed to work out the puzzles Sixty had set for them. Marsha, Polly, and Brad were hard at work together, writing down solutions and putting their heads together as they got closer and closer to the truth. And Scott. Well, he was just becoming increasingly baffled by the assortment of sex toys. He looked angry at first, then simply confused, then increasingly bemused with no real malice. Allen was impressed. It usually took quite a bit more to jolt the man out of one of his bad moods, but Sixty was doing it with real grace. By the time the team reached the conclusion of their quest to find the needle, Scott had just reached the needle drawer himself. This led to him staring at a very bewildered Brad who had come to check the needles, prostate massager in hand. "What....what the fuck dude?" Brad asked, pointing an accusatory finger, to which Scott growled out a "I don't know man, it's not mine!"

Opting to let Brad and Scott puzzle things out for now, Sixty turned to Polly and Marsha with a wide grin. "All your evidence seems to be gathered. Time to deduce the killer. And maybe your lone wolf might have more insight too. Did you send him on a red herring? Or does he too have the identity of the killer in his hand?" Sixty moved to stand next to Allen and gently nudged him in the shoulder. He could barely contain his glee and excitement. Especially when he looked over to Scott who was staring at his collection of sex toys with Brad. "Sometimes a problem needs to be arranged and looked at from behind to be solved," he offered as hint.

Everyone in the room was becoming more and more confused, as Marsha and Polly came into the main room and also spotted the sex toys. The four of them started arguing together and laying out all the evidence they’d gathered so far. It was rowdy, and seemed chaotic, but Allen knew that his team was actually getting things done like this. He smiled up at his boyfriend, loving the positive energy radiating off of him. This was the Sixty he loved - confident, excited, and happy. Eventually the four team members slowly turned on the two men, suspicious glares fixed on Allen. “Boss...” Brad started, then hummed thoughtfully, as Marsha exclaimed gleefully “He did it! He absolutely did!”

The team seemed to be jumping a little ahead with their accusations and Sixty's carefully planned alibi story was going to arrive a minute too late. By that point, he wouldn't put it past the team to have cuffed Allen and good heartedly marched him off. Right on cue, there was a prim knock on the door and Connor strolled in with a casual "did I leave my jacket at yours on Tuesday morning? I can't find it?" Unfortunately, his acting skills were not the best and it was painfully obviously scripted but Sixty bounded towards his twin with glee.

The team was momentarily shocked out of their accusations by Connor’s appearance. Realization flashed across Polly’s face as she recognized that Sixty had a twin. Brad didn’t let her say anything though, instead yelling out “It was the Captain! Get him!” Allen grinned and made as if he was going to try and run away out the door. What he didn’t expect was for the team to follow him, Scott leaping at him in a tackle that brought them both to the ground. No injuries, and Allen was grinning as they wrestled on the floor, Scott attempting to pin him with more enthusiasm than normal. They often got their feelings out via scrapping in the gym, so this wasn’t surprising to the SWAT team.

Sixty and Connor stood back and watched the team wrestle. They stood there, polite as anything, Sixty with his hands behind his back while Connor crossed his arms over his chest. "Like children." Connor observed and his eyes strayed to the table where the five sex toys were lined up. "You were planning a very thorough get to know the team session. Allen not enough for you?" In response to the teasing, Sixty gave Connor a playful shove. He snickered as his twin stumbled a little and turned on him with a playful growl. Then they realised they were going to be no better than the SWAT team and returned to their polite waiting for them to be done.

"Should I intervene?" Sixty finally asked.

"He's your boyfriend. Depends on how much you love him." With a heaving sigh Sixty stood up straight and clapped loudly twice to get everyone's attention. "No roughhousing in the morgue."

Polly, who probably could have ended the spectacle if she wanted, was calmly standing back. She smiled as she watched the two brothers briefly horse around and then break apart. Very interesting. They had been blaming Sixty for a lot of yelling he hadn’t done. The four in the pile froze as Sixty clapped, all looking up at him. Allen and Scott were panting, and Allen’s hair was mussed quite spectacularly. He smacked twice at Scott’s thigh and the redhead released him from the full body hold with a long suffering sigh. As they all sat up, Brad let out a triumphant crow of “But we solved the mystery! Man, I can’t believe the boss murdered a fake dude.”

"And if you would like, the DPD will show you what happens once the morgue hands over the evidence. How we bring in a suspect for questioning and some of our interrogation techniques," Connor offered. It wasn't something he and Sixty had talked about but after everything, Connor was trying to make up for his previous misdemeanors and that seemed like a good start. Next to him, Sixty's head whipped to the side to look at him but Connor continued, "But it is something to be discussed later. If I'm no longer needed here, I will return to work." He nodded at the team, gave Sixty a wink and left, mind wheeling over the fact that if Sixty agreed to come in too, they could show the team how innocence and guilt were teased out of suspects. In the morgue, Sixty smiled at the team. "Congratulations, there is a spark of hope for you after all. Except your captain. But fear not, I shall personally interrogate him very thoroughly later on."

Allen, from his spot on the ground, couldn't control the look of absolute surprise that washed over him at Connor's offer. It seemed he was trying to extend the olive branch as well, huh? Better than him being continually cruel and annoying, Allen supposed. They'd have to talk about that offer later though, he couldn't just commit right away. The team had all struggled to their feet by the time Sixty turned to look at them, looking disheveled but thoroughly satisfied. Brad and Marsha were beaming with pride, and Polly looked quietly pleased as usual. Scott was...well, he wasn't scowling, which was as good as Sixty was going to get right now.

"Ew, with all those 'tools' you just keep around the office??" Marsha exclaimed at that last sentence, pulling a terrible face.

"Yeah, what's up with all that?" Brad added, still totally baffled.

A slightly wide eyed look of worry crossed Sixty's face at the question. "I thought it would be funny?" He glanced at Allen. "Someone warned me not to leave anything I didn't want found in the labs. So I took his advice and turned it on its head." Now that he was called out on it, he realised it might not have been as funny as he thought. But Allen hadn't stopped him in the morning. "And there's five of you, while you can't take a mannequin as a memento of your training, I figured those would be more memorable than some shitty certificate. But I can give you certificates if you'd prefer."

To everyone's surprise, Scott was the one who spoke up. "It  _ was _ fucking funny. I didn't think you'd have the balls to do something like that." He was giving Sixty a half of a smirk, clearly sizing him up yet again. Allen felt a wave of relief wash over him. It had worked. Well, it was at least a start. Brad snorted out a laugh, shaken out of his confusion with a "I mean, it's at least useful! More than a dumb piece of paper!"

Damn right they were more useful than a dumb piece of paper and Sixty felt the beginnings of a relieved smile forming. Especially when Scott looked him up and down again without hostility. Horror was quick to follow though and he clarified something in haste. "When the department sends you evaluation forms it is the training over the last two days.  _ Not _ for the toys!" He could just imagine the team's reports about the toys and the puzzled queries the higher ups would be sending about just what kind of training event took place.

That got the whole team laughing, what little tension there was left bleeding out of the situation. "Maybe I'll write my review of both and flip a coin to see which one I submit." Scott drawled with a smirk on his face. That earned him a well-meaning punch on the shoulder from Marsha, and soon the team were all jostling and teasing at each other. Allen simply smiled at Sixty, trying to reassure him without words that yes, this was just how they all acted.

This kind of horsing around was fine, Sixty wasn't bothered by it in the slightest. If anything it made him grin as he thought back to watching the others in the army do pretty much the same thing. Only, back then he watched as an outsider by himself. This time, Allen was sending him knowing grins he returned with glee.

"If you do send the toy review in, please be sure to highlight how I hand picked them each with your personalities in mind. And the subliminal messaging of 'go fuck yourselves' for getting me in trouble with the higher ups." Looking around, there wasn't much left to do so Sixty shrugged. "You're welcome to stay and snack for as long as you want. Chill here if you want, the fridge section is just through those doors if you want somewhere cool to hang out. I, unfortunately, need to tidy up and prepare for a court case next week."

The group chilled out as Sixty wrapped up their little training session, instinctively turning to watch Allen for their next orders. Now that they were done in the morgue, the usual order reigned again. “Grab some snacks and then head upstairs, we’ll have our usual training start in half and hour.” Allen said, shooing the team away and watching happily as they grabbed snacks and said their goodbyes to Sixty. Even Scott sent him a brief nod as he left. Allen though, he stayed behind.

The morgue was silent again and Sixty looked at Allen then glanced away, suddenly a little nervous. "Did I do good?" He asked, seeking reassurance timidly. As much as he loved the fact Allen stayed behind, he couldn't figure out why he would. At least not unless Sixty had managed to do something wrong and needed to be had a quiet word with.

Once he was sure they were alone, Allen crossed the distance and pulled Sixty into a big old hug. "You did so good." He reassured his boyfriend, grinning up at him happily. That had gone better than he could have ever hoped for, and he wanted to make sure Sixty knew that.

The hug enveloping him had Sixty sagging and wrapping his arms around Allen. The praise making him feel a strange kind of warmth. "I wasn't sure if I could pull that off," he admitted into the crook of his boyfriend's neck. "Thank you for helping."

Allen squeezed Sixty close, happy to feel their bodies pressed together. "You're more than welcome." He said, "I want you and the team to get along. You're both important to me."

Uncertain how to deal with such declarations, Sixty wriggled free and tried to pretend the words weren't affecting him quite so much. "I want to try and make you happy." He turned away, trying to busy his hands and hide his blush. "What are you training this afternoon?" Redirecting the conversation usually worked and Sixty hoped Allen would take the bait. Or, even better, take his leave and let Sixty have a bit of time to sort through his emotions in private without making more of a twit of himself.

Luckily, Allen was starting to get the hang of Sixty's moods. It was why he didn't feel nearly as strong of a stab of worry over the sudden change in conversation, or the way his boyfriend pulled away. Allen was still a little at a loss though, having thought it would be a positive thing to talk about what had just happened. "Oh, I think sparring. That or tactics, whatever I can get them to concentrate better on." He explained with a shrug, watching Sixty carefully.

Those both sounded fun and Sixty said as much. He suspected sparring might go better, especially given how the team had all but blazed through the snacks. The sugar rush was going to make them exceptionally antsy probably. His greatest fear all morning had been the team making things personal again. Considering he couldn't quite buy pizza for them the previous night, he could seemingly afford snacks and sex toys as jomes for them. He had shuffled some money around in the morning, knowing full well he was dipping into savings for something that, superficially, looked stupid. But it had done the trick and he made inroads with Scott which was good. "If you finish training early, does that mean you get to go home early too?" The question was seemingly non-sequitur and innocent. In reality, Sixty was trying to figure out whether Allen would want to see him that evening. And maybe play with their new toy.

Luckily for everyone involved, the team had a pretty good handle on keeping things professional inside the DPD building. They may joke around and roughhouse a bit, but they were unlikely to bring up personal matters unless absolutely necessary. They wouldn't have commented on the money matter unless Sixty had brought it up himself. Allen chuckled softly and shook his head, saying "Nah, I have paperwork I can do to fill in the time. I'll be done around regular hours." He wasn't sure why Sixty had asked, so he turned the question back, asking "What about you?"

Not expecting the question, Sixty turned to look at Allen with wide eyes. "Just the usual. I need to make sure I have things ready for court on Monday. They make me wear a suit for it!" He was pouting about that no doubt but he did so hate the stuffy clothes such things demanded he wear. It wasn't like his professional abilities were affected by what he wore. If anything, he probably performed better when comfortable. But all his pleas to the higher ups had fallen on deaf ears. Despite his rambling thoughts, Sixty still didn't know why Allen had asked him. So he questioned it with a soft "why do you ask?"

Allen perked up slightly at the idea of Sixty in a suit. He really wanted to see that, his mind already racing with the possibilities of how good his boyfriend would look all done up. He had to sort of mentally shake himself out of the daydream about Sixty in a sharp suit coat and tie in order to pay attention to the soft question. "Well, I...I just wondered. Since you asked me. It seemed like you were hoping to head out early so I..." Allen trailed off, unsure suddenly. He didn't want to push, especially not when it seemed like Sixty wanted to distance himself.

Humming, Sixty returned to keep his hands busy, stacking up the petri dishes and shuffling them off to the incinerator. "It doesn't say in my contract where I need to work from if it's not an actual autopsy. That would be a bit unhygienic in my living room." He was working up to asking if Allen wanted to spend the evening together but Sixty couldn't find the words. Allen had already spent last night and the morning with him, surely he had better things to do. So Sixty kept quiet, the desire to spend more time with his boyfriend duelling his assumptions that Allen needed time away from him.

The mystery was deepening, and Allen was becoming more uncomfortable. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. If Sixty didn’t like his suggestion he could always just say no, he reasoned. “Want to get dinner after work?” Allen blurted out suddenly, going deathly silent afterwards as he watched to see if Sixty would push him away again. It seemed like they hadn’t had any normal time together in ages, so a nice dinner sounded, well, amazing.

Relief flooded through Sixty and he ducked his head to hide any evidence of emotions written in his face. "I would really love that," he managed to say as he peered over his shoulder at Allen, cheeks bright red.

Ah. So there was the answer. Allen felt relief and understanding wash over him as he saw that bright red blush. “I’ll pick you up then?” He offered with a smile.

"That would be lovely, thank you," Sixty replied primly. He needed to to keep his voice tight otherwise he would end up giggling like an idiot between grins. However, he did chance turning to shoot Allen a shy smile, dipping his head to try and hide behind the unruly curl of hair that always fell out of place. "I hope you have a lovely afternoon." It was as much of a dismissal as he could offer. As much as he wanted to go and kiss Allen goodbye, he didn't trust himself to not abandon all duties in favour of sequestering Allen in his office for snuggles. Even as it was, when the morgue doors closed behind Allen, he let out a delighted little squeal that was likely heard by his boyfriend despite his best efforts.

Allen nodded in return and took the hint to leave without much resistance. It was still a little off, for him, but he could tell Sixty wasn’t upset and that’s what mattered. The little squeal he heard drifting out of the morgue was enough to paint a silly smile on Allen’s face that his team teased him for, but otherwise the day went by like normal. Work was work, and that wouldn’t change, thank god.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 50 Chapters!! Wow!! Thank you all for sticking with us so far on this wild ride, if you've read every chapter or if you've popped in and out, we appreciate it all <3
> 
> As a treat, have a chapter with no emotional turmoil ;)
> 
> (new tag added just to be extra safe for public play)

The afternoon flew by and Sixty took a taxi home. He realised he and Allen hadn't actually specified times so he immediately hopped in the shower to get ready in record time. On a whim, he dug through his lingerie drawer. Even if he wasn't up for sex just yet, he could still look nice for his boyfriend. Plus, they still had the plug they bought that morning they could play with. Choosing lingerie was easy but proper clothes was a little harder. He didn't want to overdress and look like an idiot but at the same time, Sixty didn't want to look like a slob either. Tight jeans and a nice shirt it was.

Somehow, Allen almost felt nervous as he went home and got ready for dinner. Why was this so weird? Maybe because of all the emotional turmoil lately, Allen just really wanted to make sure that their dinner tonight was a pleasant and relaxing experience. He showered and actually fussed with his hair for a few minutes before catching himself. God, acting like a lovesick teenager. Shaking off the nerves, Allen texted Sixty he was on his way and hopped on his bike, the ride over enough to relax him even further. Riding always did that for him.

Phone buzzing on the sink, Sixty tore his eyes from the mirror to look. Allen was probably 10 minutes away. Heart in his throat, Sixty turned back to the mirror and gave thanks to having steady hands even when nervous as he finished off the black flick of eyeliner. He could be ready by the time Allen got there. A quick dab of aftershave to round everything off, Sixty was as satisfied as he was going to get. He sat in his living room and played on his phone until a knock sounded on his door and Sixty went to answer.

Allen was standing in front of Sixty’s door, helmet in hand and leather jacket covering the button up he had finally picked to wear. As soon as his boyfriend came into view, Allen’s heart was hammering away in his chest again, worse than before, because - “Oh fuck, you’re gorgeous” he blurted out, taking in the whole of Sixty’s outfit, down to the black lines accentuating his eyes. Unable to help himself, Allen surged forward and pulled his boyfriend down into a kiss.

There went all of Sixty's nerves as he melted into the kiss. It was all the reassurance he had been craving all afternoon, worried that now that the team accepted him, he wouldn't be a shiny treasure for Allen to cherish but rather, a boring toy to discard. Pressing bodily up against Allen, he deepened the kiss, trying his best to remember how to actually do it rather than become an oral washing machine as Nines had once described bad kissing to be like.

Allen sighed happily into the kiss, loving the reassurance of Sixty pressed close to him like this. It was a reminder that no matter how complicated the emotions got, no matter how strange his boyfriend acted sometimes, he still loved him. Allen parted from the kiss grinning and breathing hard, and still clutching Sixty close, unable to think of anything to say.

"When you asked about dinner, were you on the menu?" Sixty purred, resting his forehead against Allen's. He would have been perfectly satisfied to invite his boyfriend in and ravishing him. Which was something he wanted to say but he was torn between "you look amazing" and "dinner would be delicious. Unfortunately, his brain gave out on him in that moment and all he managed to assert was a very firm "you are delicious."

Allen chuckled, the rumble low and deep in his throat as he nuzzled his forehead against Sixty. “You’ve Stolen all my lines, and most of the thoughts in my head” he teased, hands wandering happily down to settle on Sixty’s ass, “Here I was, all ready to be a gentleman and take you out to dinner, but now I don’t know if I can wait that long.” He was hungry, sure, but hungry for what was up to interpretation.

One thing that definitely wasn't happening was dying of embarrassment. Sixty took a deep breath and wound his arms around Allen tighter. "Well, we did buy a toy this morning. We could always have you wearing it under your leathers and go out for dinner with a remote in my pocket." It was a bit of a racy suggestion, he wasn't sure how Allen would feel about playing secretly in a public setting. In the morning he had seemed excited about it, but he might have had a change of heart since.

Allen couldn’t deny the fact that he was already starting to get hard at the idea of this. “I’ve never done anything public like this before, but I want to try.” He murmured, pressing infinitely closer to try and show Sixty how excited he was about the idea.

There was only one acceptable reaction to that which was to pull Allen into the house, kick the door closed and march him towards the bedroom. In a fit of hope, Sixty had already cleaned the plug and put batteries in it and he silently thanked his moment of optimism. "Strip," he commanded without much preamble. "And while you do, think about whether you want to come now and later, or just later." While Allen stripped, he grabbed some lube from the bedside table and stood back to admire the sight of his boyfriend.

Allen followed Sixty like a dog after his master. He was absolutely  _ enthralled _ by this new dominant side of Sixty, totally willing to do whatever he asked. Stripping with little to no preamble, Allen at least laid his clothes out nicely on the bed. It would be a shame to let the nice button up get wrinkled. Finally naked, he turned to Sixty with a half smirk, asking “How do you want me?”

There were so many ways this could play out and Sixty took a moment to just admire his boyfriend before choosing. "I want you kneeling on the bed, thighs spread." An idea was forming in his mind and he licked his lips. "You're going to be so pretty like that. My handsome love."

Allen’s cock was already filling out pleasantly, but he had decided not to come yet. Instead, he breathed in and out slowly as he positioned himself on the bed, thighs spread and ass up for Sixty’s benefit. “This good? How you want me?”

"Very good. But settle back down a little, almost as if you were sitting on your feet." Carefully, Sixty climbed on the bed and pressed against Allen's back, hands coming up to rest palms against his chest. "So good for me. You really take my breath away with your looks and obedience. It makes you so very easy to love, I hope you know that." Feeling a little teasing, he nipped playfully at Allen's ear.

Allen groaned softly at the praise and the soft hands on his chest. Fuck, he was surprisingly into this whole scenario - him naked and Sixty still fully clothed and in total control, but with praise dripping off his lips. Without thinking, Allen leaned his head back against his boyfriend’s chest, exposing more of himself for those clever teeth.

"Does my lovely, handsome boyfriend want more?" Sixty smiled, shivering as his cock was pressing against the seam of his jeans. "Maybe you want something a little different. Something to fill you up." The words were whispered against Allen's skin, teeth grazing against his neck. Hands slipping down over Allen's body, Sixty felt him up, enjoying how solid his boyfriend was. Still, he needed to let go with one hand eventually get the lube and start teasing Allen's hole, dipping in before darting away again, only to return, covered in more lube.

  
  


“I would very much like that” Allen purred, feeling the rumble of it through his chest. He loved how confident Sixty was, that was turning him on almost more than anything else. He was hard already, and likely to only get harder as this treatment continued. But Allen wasn’t so desperate that he was ready to beg just yet. No, the most he was doing was pushing his hips back against Sixty’s fingers.

Even the small pushes from Allen's hips were reward enough for Sixty. With little preamble, he pushed into the heat of his boyfriend's body. "You're amazing." He kept up the praise, sighing a little as he felt Allen around him. "Letting me open you up like this just so I can keep you full with our toy." He kissed along Allen's neck, one arm looped around him to hold him upright and against his chest. Slowly, he began to pump his fingers in and out. "I hope you've decided about when you want to come. Whether I need to put a ring on you before making you sink down onto the toy."

“ _ Our _ toy” Allen groaned, letting himself get totally lost in the dual sensations of praise and pleasure. He didn’t squirm or push further, doing an admirable job of relaxing and just letting Sixty take control. That was half the fun of this particular exercise, after all. “Give me the ring” He murmured, “Want to draw this out, and I’m not sure if I can alone...” especially once they got in public, he didn’t want the potential to embarrass himself.

Smiling against Allen's skin Sixty could barely contain his giddy joy. "Ours, yes " He was all but purring. "I'll help you, don't worry. You're too precious." He reached for the ring and gently put it around his boyfriend's cock. Slicking up the toy, Sixty pressed the tip in as he began to worry a hickey against Allen's shoulder.

Allen groaned at the dual sensation of the ring and the toy, very glad he had opted for a little assistance. Otherwise he might have embarrassed himself a little Allen was as relaxed as possible, the toy sliding in with relative ease as he let his eyes slip closed. It was an odd sensation, really, but not bad. One of his hands reached back to grip at Sixty’s hip, pulling him closer.

More praise rumbled through Sixty and he sighed happily when Allen grabbed his hip. The toy had settled in Allen but Sixty wasn't ready to let him go just yet, rocking up against him, enjoying the intimacy. "Fuck, I love you so much," he blurted out. Really, they could probably get ready to go out, Allen didn't want to come, neither did Sixty. Not yet anyway. But he didn't want to pull away from the closeness and warmth.

Allen could feel Sixty rutting up against him softly, and he loved the feeling of knowing he was getting his boyfriend all worked up. But...he really wanted to go to dinner like this, and extend their play even further. So, sadly, he needed to cut this part a little short. “Love you too babe.” Allen rumbled, “But if you don’t want this to end right away let’s get this show on the road. You can snuggle up behind me on the bike, okay?”

That sounded like bliss. Sixty nuzzled in to prolong the moment for a few more seconds. "Will you be safe to ride like this?" He tapped lightly and teasingly against the plug. "I would love to snuggle up against you but maybe I should be the one you hold onto." Slowly he peeled away from Allen though until just his hands rested on bare hips. His boyfriend made a truly arresting picture naked with just the hint of the plug's base nestled between his cheeks.

Allen let out a soft curse as he realized how right Sixty was. Driving distracted in any way was dangerous, and he couldn’t afford to be stupid when his own health  _ and _ his boyfriend’s were on the line. He sighed, relinquishing the fantasy he had built up of this night being a chance for him to drive around with Sixty pressed to his back. “You’re right, you should drive.” He admitted, “Good call.”

"Maybe tomorrow you can take me for a spin," Sixty murmured, easing Allen's frown. "But for tonight, let me take care of my handsome, wonderful boyfriend." He helped Allen get changed, loving the way his face shifted as the plug moved in him. It was a feeling he knew all too well and Sixty delighted in being able to share it with him. Once all dressed again, Sixty grabbed his keys and took Allen's hand, leading him out to the bike. While he was more than happy to drive, he actually had no idea where they were going.

Allen had to force himself to relax and let go, but he managed after a few moments. He had been taking care of Sixty pretty consistently these past few days, so maybe it was time to hand over the reins and let him take charge instead. It was easier to do once he started moving and the plug started shifting - that was a good distraction. By the time he was dressed, he could feel that he was a little sweaty already, and very glad they were going to be riding soon. His brain hadn’t yet caught up with the idea that sitting on a vibrating motorcycle with a plug up his ass might be a bad idea. “I wanted to take you out to one of my favorite cafes, can I give you directions as we drive?” Allen asked, following him to the bike happily.

It sounded absolutely wonderful and Sixty smiled widely. "Perfect. Just like you. Which deserves a reward." He dangled the remote from his fingers and turned it on to the lowest setting. Just a flavour of what was to come. He would probably turn it off for the bike ride but that didn't mean he couldn't have a bit of fun first.

Allen couldn't hold back the soft gasp that he made as the plug started to vibrate in his ass, the sensation completely novel to him. Novel but quickly becoming a new favorite. Collecting himself, he shot Sixty a brilliant smile, saying "I think I'm already getting my reward, having a hot boyfriend like you driving me around town."

A purr rumbled through Sixty at the idea of driving around town, showing Allen off as his for the world to see. Even better when he was wearing a plug they had bought together. "Let me show you off a little further, climb on the bike and I'll turn the vibrations off when you're settled." Because the bike alone was going to be making Allen see stars, he didn't need more on top of that. Not yet anyway.

Allen nodded, moving to get on the bike and stifling a moan when he settled onto the seat. Sixty’s bike was built differently, with the back seat angled slightly so the passenger would need to lean forward. And that angle was pressing the plug in in delicious new ways. “Fuck, I’m glad I had you put that ring on.” Allen admitted, letting out an almost hysterical little breathy giggle.

There was something so pleasing about watching Allen get on the bike and seeing him so obviously feeling good. Turning the vibrations off, Sixty helped settle his arms around his waist. "Hold on tight. We're finding every pothole along the way." It was a cheeky promise, one that would probably have Allen writhing behind him. Sixty would have been lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to it. Kicking the bike into life, Sixty revved it into a purr and took off.

Allen laughed and then immediately choked on the laugh as the bike’s engine roared to life and started to vibrate the plug in new and interesting ways inside of him. He clutched at Sixty as they started to drive, grounding himself with the solid presence of his boyfriend’s back. It was a little embarrassing, honestly, how fast he was turning into a mess over this. But he had pretty much zero experience with toys, so the sensations sweeping over him were brand new. At least, that’s what he had to remind himself of very time they took a turn and the plug made him whine softly into his helmet.

While Sixty couldn't hear Allen, he could definitely feel the way his arms tightened around him on corners and knew for a fact it wasn't because Allen was worried on the bike. It spurred Sixty on to push them a little further, making the ride just that bit more bumpy. Finally, after a quick detour to prolong the ride, they pulled up outside the cafe Allen had suggested. Patiently, Sixty waited for Allen to climb off first.

Allen only noticed they had stopped a few moments after they actually did, breathing hard through his nose to try and control himself. When it became clear Sixty wanted him to dismount first, Allen did his best, landing on wobbly legs with a soft kiss. “Thanks for the lift” he teased with a grin.

"Treasure the moments you can speak," Sixty laughed and reached into his pocket. As he wrapped an arm around Allen's waist to guide him in, he hit the button to turn the toy on again and held Allen up in case his knees buckled in surprise.

Allen's knees did in fact buckle a bit, and he clutched at Sixty and cursed under his breath. A soft flush was spreading across his face, both from arousal and embarrassment at how much he was being affected. To his horror he found he really didn't think he could string a coherent sentence together right now.

A hand came up to brush hair from Allen's face and cup his cheek. Sixty hadn't really meant to do this with Allen before a good chat but they had found themselves in the middle of what was effectively a scene. "Remember if you need to stop, you can just say so. Or say 'tent'." It was a gentle reminder that Allen had a way out if needed. He wanted to reassure his boyfriend that he was breathtaking as he was but that felt like emotional manipulation. So he refrained until they were sat down with a menu in front of each of them. "Anything you would recommend, handsome?" He asked, hand in his pocket in a silent tease.

Allen nodded, some part of him cursing the fact that yet again they had stumbled into doing things that article Nines had given him strongly recommended against. Whoops. It was hard to feel bad though when his whole bottom half felt like liquid. Settling into the chair, Allen tried to arrange himself so the plug wasn’t pressed up against anything too sensitive, but that was kind of a lost cause. Everything was sensitive in the best way possible. Shooting Sixty a smile, Allen gathered himself enough to point out the menu items he thought his boyfriend would like, using his voice very softly and sparingly.

Watching Allen battle the onslaught of pleasure had joy singing through Sixty's veins. There was something so endearing about the way he choked a little on words, eyelashes fluttering and hand shaking as something felt especially good. It made Sixty wonder how far he could push things. "I'll order for you," he reassured when the waitress came over. On the surface, it was a gallant gesture but what nobody else really noticed was the way his hand slipped into his pocket and turned the plug setting up another notch, with the plan to turn it completely off when their orders had been placed.

Allen was sure he looked like an absolutely helpless wreck, but he was doing his best to grit his teeth and work through it. Especially when the waitress appeared. He gave her a tight smile and sat back, content to let Sixty handle this. What he didn’t expect though, was for the vibrations to suddenly increase. It was like liquid heat shooting straight up his spine, and Allen couldn’t help the choked off sound he made as it happened. Coughing to try and play it off, he reached for his water and raised it to his mouth with shaking fingers, totally overwhelmed in the best way.

Taking mercy on Allen, Sixty turned the plug off and let him recover in peace. The flush on his cheeks was rather delightful though. Once the waitress had disappeared with their orders, he reached a hand across the table. "You okay?" He was fully prepared to give Allen an out if he needed. This was meant to be something fun, nothing more.

Allen sucked in some much needed air as the vibrations stopped and he could breathe again. This was the most delightful torture. When Sixty reached out, Allen squeezed his hand and shot him a lopsided grin. “Hell yeah. Amazing. Sweaty. Is it really obvious?”

There was no way to reply to that really and Sixty held out a hand, tilting it from side to side, even as his face creased up in a laugh. "You could stand on the table and declare it to be more obvious."

Allen groaned and let his head fall down against their clasped hands on the table. He was still grinning though, clearly not too upset as he mumbled “I’m not very good at this, huh?”

"You're perfect," Sixty was quick to jump in and reassure. "Watching you enjoy yourself, knowing that your trust me with this? It is a heady and humbling experience. I want to keep you in a permanent state of ecstasy, you look so good." It was natural to rub a thumb over the back of Allen's hand and restore some of his confidence.

The little pep talk from his boyfriend was actually really heartwarming. Well, heartwarming and also arousing, getting to hear how much Sixty was enjoying this. Lifting his head up, Allen shot him a soft smile. “I guess we’ll have to do stuff like this more often then, if you like it so much.”

Despite knowing their food was coming, Sixty leaned over the table to kiss Allen softly. Finally settling back in his chair only when there was a polite throat clearing from the side, Sixty grinned. He waited until their food was put down and they had a bit of privacy again. "Only if you like it too." That was something he was adamant about. "I want you feeling good and enjoying yourself too. That is kind of the dom's role, to ensure their sub is comfortable, happy and safe."

Allen didn’t blink when he realized the waitress was watching them make out. He wasn’t concerned with public displays of affection, but he did really really hope she couldn’t tell he had a vibrating buttplug up his ass. That would be very embarrassing. “It’s new to me, so I’m still feeling it out.” Allen admitted, “But I like it so far. It feels good, and I trust you to keep me safe.”

Those words sent a flutter through Sixty. Despite his lack of experience, it seemed that he might actually be doing okay at something sexual. Even if he was only doing what he hoped someone would do for him. "Good." Sixty leaned back in his chair a little with a smirk. "Want to eat up? I can leave the plug alone or keep you entertained if you'd like. The choice is yours."

Allen weighed his options and eventually admitted with an embarrassed little laugh “Maybe it should stay off while we eat, or I may choke to death on my own food.” It was awkward to admit, but a very real possibility. Reaching for his plate, he added “But once I’m done...it’s up to you again when it turns on.”

That sounded like a very fair compromise and Sixty smiled, gesturing at their plates. "Dig in." Even as he reached for his fork, Sixty pressed his foot against Allen's in soft reassurance and reluctant to not be parted from him.

Allen, for his part, reached one of his hands across the table and took Sixty’s hand in his. It made for slower eating, but he enjoyed the feeling of being together and holding hands like this. It was an oddly sweet twist to the sexual undercurrent of the rest of the evening.

People very damned, Sixty didn't care what they thought. With great simplicity, he pushed his chair back and pulled it round the table so he was next to Allen. Plate pulled in front of him, he sent his boyfriend a shy smile, pressed their shoulders together and carried on eating, perfectly content in the new position. "This is some damn good food. Great suggestion, thank you."

Allen was surprised at first but he smiled happily as soon as Sixty leaned against him. Audience be damned, this was adorable. He very much liked this. “You’re Welcome. It’s one of my favorite spots, so I wanted to share it with you.” He replied, leaning easily against his boyfriend as he ate.

The whole evening was a curious juxtaposition of romantic adoration meshed with kinky sexual exploits. Sixty had never ever considered the possibility of the two being able to coexist like this. He finished his meal as quickly as he usually ate and waited for Allen to finish his. Maybe they would have room for dessert. Or maybe his boyfriend was the final course of such a delightful meal. Either way, Sixty was grinning at the prospect, he was getting his wish fulfilled no matter how the next part of the evening went.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It wouldn't be a sexual encounter between these two without a little bit of awkwardness, now would it?
> 
> (new tags added)

By the time Allen was done eating, his heartrate had managed to calm down, and he no longer felt on the edge of doing something terribly embarrassing. The plug was still there, but he wasn’t totally strung out. Leaning back in his chair he stretched and made a happy little noise at the shift in pressure. “That was an amazing meal.” He announced, “Thanks for coming here with me babe.” Allen leaned in to give Sixty a quick kiss on the cheek, genuinely feeling great right now.

Even if they had dessert, technically they weren't eating so Sixty sneakily turned the plug on, knowing all the well how amazing it would feel at the angle Allen say at. "I believe the thanks should go to you for suggesting it. And for being such a fun companion." On the word 'fun' he nudged the plug's setting another setting higher.

Suddenly overtaken by that spike in pleasure, Allen buried his head against Sixty’s shoulder. He had to clench his teeth to stifle the frankly sinful noise that tried to come out of his mouth, the feeling absolutely incredible.

"Are you ready to  _ come _ home?" Sixty teased even as he rubbed Allen's back to try and ground him a little. He flagged down the waitress for the bill with a silent gesture and smirked at her confused look. "You just need to last the ride home, hold onto me as tight as you need and don't worry if you make a mess." The evening wasn't about control, edging or denial. Actually, Sixty didn't know what the point of their play was but he knew it felt good. He loved watching his boyfriend slowly fall apart as he was, craved to see it more. Not to mention he was getting increasingly hard himself, turned on by the fact Allen was getting so much pleasure out of their play.

Allen choked out a strangled laugh at the thinly veiled innuendo. Muttering into Sixty’s shoulder for privacy he replied “don’t worry, I can’t make a mess right now. Well, not a proper one.” He was incredibly glad for the ring, because otherwise he would have made a mess of himself in the restaurant by now. “Help me stand up?” He asked, voice a little breathy as the next wave of vibrations rode through him.

Gallantly, Sixty pulled Allen up and even helped guide him to the bike. Excitement sang in his veins at the prospect of what they could do when they got home. Being a kind soul, he turned to vibrations off while Allen got on the bike. But once they were both settled, he turned it as high as he could in time with kicking the engine to life. It was a short ride but he knew it would feel like the longest, sweetest torture to his boyfriend. But Sixty was willing to do anything to drive him wild.

Allen should have really expected nothing less than torture from his boyfriend at this point in the night, but it still managed to catch him off guard. By the time they arrived back to the apartment, Allen was a wreck - panting and whining out little moans as he clung to Sixty's back. It was like all of his senses had narrowed down to just pleasure.

Parking up, Sixty turned to plug off before helping Allen slide off the bike and following him. Once they were through the front door, he was pinning his boyfriend against the wall. "You were so good for me tonight. So perfect, accepting your pleasure so beautifully. What would you like as your reward?" His hands were already on Allen's flies and he was prepared to drop to his knees to suck him off once the words were said. He was willing to give Allen anything he wanted.

Allen was already stumbling as they walked through the door, so he was grateful for the wall to help prop him up. The first sound out of his mouth was a broken moan as he looked up at Sixty with wide, hazy eyes. "Anything, please, just touch me, please" Allen pleaded, feeling like he could come if the wind blew in the right direction at this point.

Such sweet pleading was impossible to resist. Sixty pressed closer against Allen, kissing him while his hands set about stripping them. "Anything for you, anything." As he stripped them, he steered them towards the bedroom, relishing how Allen's underwear was already sticky with precome. "I'll take care of you. Make you feel so good, treat you like you deserve to be adored." He laid Allen out on their bed and peppered kisses all along his throat and chest.

Allen moaned helplessly as he was stripped, feeling more powerless than he had in a long time. Something about this whole experience had him weak and needy like nothing he had ever experienced before. As Sixty laid him out and kissed him, Allen squirmed and gripped at his shoulders, trying to hold him closer but also encourage him to keep moving. He was sweating, and his cock was a mess of precome around the ring, straining for attention.

Carefully, Sixty's hands coasted down warm skin and he reverently whispered against Allen's shoulder. "If I take the ring off and the plug out, would you trust me to fuck you?" It was crudely phrased but Sixty didn't have better words for it. His mind was already clouded with desire, the image of rocking into Allen's body was enough to have him squeezing his eyes shut and trying to stave off coming before they even got anywhere. But damn he wanted Allen to nod.

Allen was sure now that if he didn’t have the ring on, he would have come from that delicious mental image alone. Fuck if that wasn’t incredibly hot. Rational, not horny Allen knew that with his inexperience Sixty wasn’t likely to give him the fuck of a lifetime, but current horny Allen had never heard a better idea in his damn life. “Fuck yeah” he gasped out, clinging to Sixty and rocking up lazily against him, “I want you to do that. I won’t last but god I need you”

That was all the encouragement Sixty needed and he was helping push Allen's legs apart, pulling the plug out and taking the ring off. He barely spread lube on his cock before pushing in and swearing under his breath. Looking down at Allen, he groaned, hips jerking at the fact he was in him, feeling his warmth around him. The small movement was enough and Sixty's back arched as he came, arms shaking as he tried not to collapse onto Allen. Realisation took a few seconds but once it took hold it made him freeze up. "Oh fuck. I'm so sorry." Mortification choked off any pleasant afterglow he could have had. He had come in maybe five seconds flat like some idiot

Allen arched up against Sixty as he pushed in, loving the feeling of being filled up once again. He just needed a little bit of pressure, a little bit of a push, and then he’d be over the edge  _ finally _ . Instead, Allen felt Sixty shudder and arch above him, clearly orgasming before he could do anything. And yes, that was incredibly hot to think his boyfriend wasn’t able to hold back after so little time. But Allen was practically shaking with the need to come, and he whined high and tight on his throat as he lost that stimulation and was left open and wanting once again. “It’s fine, it’s okay” Allen gritted out, shifting so he could get a hand around his own cock. He’d comfort Sixty in just a minute, he just really needed to come.

It wasn't fine and Sixty had no idea how to remedy it. He watched as Allen began to stroke himself, realising he could, no, he should have offered to get him off some other way. But to offer now would seem lame and probably interrupt any kind of edge Allen could work up to. Still, he had to offer. "Want me to use my fingers? Or the toy?" He was as scared of being rejected as his offer being accepted.

Allen was panting, so close to the edge but so far now. Having Sixty worrying next to him was really dulling the feeling of arousal - he didn’t want to turn him down and make him feel like he was being punished, but he also didn’t want to force him into something. Allen let out a frustrated groan, hand twisting as he tried to block out all the worries. Eventually he gave up and rolled over to face Sixty. “Just kiss me” Allen murmured, wanting some kind of simple contact.

That was something Sixty could definitely do. Tentatively, he leaned in, slotted his mouth against Allen's and tried to relax into it. It wasn't working though, he was still too tense, too nervous so, in an effort to be better, his hand slipped down, past Allen's hand still loosely around his cock and teased between his legs to where his hole was still leaking come. "May I? Can I try? Please?" He whispered between fevered kisses.

This was really not working, and a part of Allen wanted to just give up. It wasn’t like an orgasm was the be all end all for him. And it was better not to potentially scar Sixty by doing something dumb. But that pleading tone...Allen couldn’t deny him anything. “Only if you want to” he murmured in reply, shifting slightly to make it easier for his boyfriend to reach.

A small "thank you" got lost in the space between them as Sixty twisted with Allen. He brought their lips together as he pushed two fingers into the wet mess of his hole. It took him a few attempts, moving his fingers in shaking jerks but finally, he found a comfortable angle for his wrist and hopefully one that his boyfriend would enjoy too.

At first, the shaking awkward fingers in his hole were only adding to Allen's general frustration and lack of interest in actually finishing. But slowly, between the kissing and the increasingly confident fingering, he started to feel pleasure build again. He started to pump his hand again, the slick slide against his cock coaxing him back into proper hardness, a soft pleased sigh escaping between their lips.

Relief flooded through Sixty at the sight of Allen actually trying to get off again. He trembled a little at the weight falling off him, guilt for yet again messing up. Carefully, he pushed a third finger in to give Allen the fullness he deserved and crooked his fingers as he began to move his hand in and out. A slight hint of desperation was creeping into his kisses, the need to get his boyfriend off making him try harder to get him off.

Allen was just trying to block out all the stress signs rolling off of Sixty. He just needed to come, and then he could comfort his boyfriend. Because at this point it was clear that stopping would panic Sixty even further. Hand moving as fast as he could without cramping, Allen forced his mind to wander back to the rest of the evening, replaying all of the delicious moments they had shared. It worked, and slowly he felt himself building back up to that edge, breath starting to come in harsher pants.

The harsh breaths were encouraging, Sixty pressed a little deeper with his finger, the angle a little awkward but he was trying his best. In the panic and worry, all thoughts of praise and dirty talk had flown out of his mind. It didn't feel like a chore to get Allen off but it had definitely swung from fun to something he  _ needed _ to do in order to prove something. He wasn't even sure what that something was. Maybe the fact that he wasn't useless or that he could bring pleasure and not just trouble to someone. Sixty watched his boyfriend intently, trying to read what he might need.

Allen swiveled his hips, trying to press Sixty’s fingers in just a little bit more, at just a slightly different angle. If he could just get that...Ah, yeah, there it was. Sixty’s fingers pressed in just right and Allen took one, two, three more strokes before he was finally coming. It wasn’t the most mind blowing orgasm, but it was a release of tension, and Allen curled against Sixty as he came, a few soft whimpers escaping.

Some of the tension bled out of Sixty as Allen finally came. He didn't know how soon he should apologise for making a hash of things. Again. Really, Sixty wanted to let Allen bask in the afterglow, even if it was only a mediocre orgasm at best, he didn't want the pleasant haze to be cut short. But at the same time, he was desperate to apologise, to try and reassure Allen that he could be better.

Allen’s breathing calmed quickly, his mind clearing and coming back to reality faster than usual after an orgasm. He knew he couldn’t just let Sixty sit and stew over this latest accident. Wrapping sticking hands around him, Allen pulled them close together. “You okay? I can feel you thinking from here.”

It was automatic to nod and say he was okay, even if it wasn't quite true. Despite all his efforts, he was slipping back into habits he'd built up over a lifetime. "Are you okay?" Reflecting back was always easier and it stopped him from spouting anything hurtful to keep himself from being vulnerable.

Allen sighed, replying “No, I’m not. Because I’m worrying about you.” He wasn’t ready to just let this drop, and he knew Sixty was retreating again. “Sex is messy and dumb. And sometimes things don’t go the way you want.” He continued, one hand soothing up and down Sixty’s back, “Doesn’t make you a bad partner by any stretch of the imagination.”

"I just-" Sixty's voice buckled. "I knew it would feel good. But you were so much better than anything I could have imagined. I'm sorry." The shame made his cheeks burn but at least he'd managed to apologise. "I'm sorry for messing up once again and for making you worry yet again."

Allens mouth quirked up into half a smile as he said “Look, you don’t have to apologize for that. I’m fucking flattered I made you feel that good.” He got serious again as he watched Sixty’s expression turn so mortified. “It’s okay. Seriously. I’m not mad, it was your first time topping. I shouldn’t have put so much pressure on you” he tried to reassure Sixty.

But Allen hadn't been putting any pressure on Sixty. He had been the perfect gentleman about everything. Finally daring to look up into his eyes, Sixty gave a watery smile. "You did feel pretty incredible. All night you'd been so gorgeous, I dont think I've ever wanted anyone or anything more in my life."

Allen felt a sense of relief as Sixty lifted his eyes and gave him that tiny smile. That was hopeful. “That makes me really fucking happy to hear” Allen admitted with an answering smile, “I want to give you everything you want babe.”

What Sixty wanted was for Allen to be happy. To look at him and be proud to call Sixty his boyfriend. But that wasn't something he could say. "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to try that again."

“What?!” Allen asked with real shock, “Of course we’re going to try that again! You fucking loved it, and once you get some practice I will also be  _ very _ into it.” He hoped the sincerity in his tone was as obvious as it felt.

The sly voice in Sixty's head whispering about how mistakes shouldn't be rewarded was difficult to silence. He tried his best, focusing on the coloured specks he could see in Allen's eyes. When that didn't work, he leaned forward for a shy kiss, seeking reassurance he couldn't quite voice a request for.

Allen really was getting to know Sixty better, because he could tell he needed some kind of physical reassurance. Allen was happy to give it to him, leaning in for a soft and slow kiss. One hand slid up to cup the back of Sixty’s neck, keeping him close.

"Thank you," Sixty whispered fervently between kisses, melting into the touch. At least most of the "sorry" and "forgive me" were swallowed up. Gently, he rolled them so Allen was on top of him, messes be damned. "I'm so lucky to have you." And he meant it too. Sixty couldn't fathom why Allen forgave all his fuck ups. At this rate, he had more of those than positive moments. But he had learned not to question Allen or his motivation to stay, he would just enjoy it while it lasted.

Allen melted into the kisses, letting himself relax and just focus on being present and happy with his boyfriend. That was how the evening should have gone anyways. Just lazily enjoying each other’s company and affection. “Love you” Allen murmured in reply to every single thank you, wanting to remind Sixty just why he chose to stay.

The soft murmurs were a balm, washing over Sixty and easing the knot in his chest. Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around Allen, held him close and maybe, just maybe, though that making a mistake was okay. "I love you too," he replied, eyes closed and a small, shy smile playing on his lips.

Allen was so grateful his own eyes were open, because he got to see that tiny smile. That was everything, right there. That was how he wanted his boyfriend to look all the time, if he had any kind of say in the matter. Allen snuggled in close as Sixty embraced him, letting himself relax properly finally.

They stayed like that until Sixty started squirming, the mess between them pulling his skin tight and making him feel disgusting. The only problem was, Sixty really didn't fancy getting up for a shower. "Wet wipes?" He mumbled lazily, gesturing vaguely at the bedside table. There were bound to be some in there.

Allen chuckled, not feeling up to standing and walking any time soon either. "Sure." He agreed, rolling away with a groan to fumble around for the wet wipes. It was absolutely a smart move to keep them so close, and he gave Sixty an extra kiss on the nose as thanks when he rolled back over.

Lazily wiping down, Sixty realised he hadn't grimaced in disgust at the come like he usually would have. He huffed out a curious noise at it as he contemplated. "It's becoming less bothersome," he told Allen, a small, shy smile on his lips. "Maybe we could give blowjobs another go one of these days?"

At first Allen wasn't sure what Sixty meant, and then he looked over and realized he was talking about the drying come they were both cleaning up. It was an odd thing to be proud of, but he was proud of his boyfriend nonetheless for being less grossed out. "Absolutely." Allen replied with an answering smile, "That sounds like it would make for an amazing learning experience." He winked for good measure.

Such raw love and acceptance was almost too much and Sixty was glancing away again with a blush. Sometimes Allen was too much in the loveliest of ways and he didn't know how to deal with it. "Maybe I could wake you up with one, one morning?" He offered hesitantly, almost braced for rejection even though he knew better.

"Fuck yeah" Allen grinned, feeling like if he hadn't just had an exhausting round of pleasure he'd probably be getting hard from that mental image alone. He reached out with his clean hand and cupped Sixty's face, adding "Consider this my explicit consent for that."

That...that was something that had Sixty perking up in interest. He wondered whether Allen would let him do more than just suck him off. "Oh yeah?" Talking about lewd acts was so much more easier than feelings. "You'd let me wake you up by swallowing around your cock? Maybe already two fingers deep in you, milking you through some naughty dreams?"

Allen groaned at the thought of that, but this time he was not completely out of his mind horny so he could temper his enthusiasm. "You don't have to go all out to start with." He said gently, "There's no pressure to be some kind of sexy master, I'm more than happy to take it slow and build up to that amazing fantasy you just described." The last thing that Allen wanted was for Sixty to work himself up, make a mistake, and then panic while Allen was still half asleep.

Idly, Sixty wondered whether everyone else had this many problems with sex or if he was just a special case. He nodded, biting his lip before blurring out "is sex always this difficult and complicated?" The question was out now, he couldn't take it back. Sixty looked Allen square in the eye, standing by his question now that it has been asked, ready for the brutal honesty that it was just Sixty making a mess of things.

Allen nodded before he even really had time to think, because it was his immediate answer. “Absolutely. Especially when you’re just starting out, I was so fucking awkward when I had my first few hookups.” He admitted. Back at the academy, he had had his first ‘boyfriend’ that had sex involved, and god that had been so complicated. “Even people who are super experienced fuck up too.” Allen added, thinking of nights picking up his team captain on the street, or of relationships he had watched fall apart because of the sex or the lack of sex or the wrong kind of sex.

In a way, it was a good thing Sixty couldn't read Allen's mind because then he would have been certain their relationship was doomed to end in misery. Instead, he sighed a little, taking solace in the fact that it was normal to fuck up. Whether it was to the degrees he was managing was still in question but he wasn't going to query it now. What he did do though was curl up against Allen and close his eyes. He was suddenly so very tired, between the buildup of the evening, keeping a close eye on Allen and then the disaster that sex had been, he was quite knackered. "I can't imagine you being awkward. Everything you do seems steeped in confidence or a steady reassurance. I didn't even think awkward was a word that was in your neighbourhood, let alone dictionary."

Allen gladly gathered Sixty up in his arms when he curled closer like that, happy to have that normalcy of touch back. He was also tired, the effort of being out and having held off his orgasm for so long finally catching up with him. But he wanted to make sure that Sixty was okay before he dozed off. “Oh god, I was so awkward. The first blowjob I gave I got too enthusiastic and wretched on the poor guy’s dick” Allen said with a chuckle. That had been mortifying, and a blow to his own self confidence too. Not that it had stopped him from trying again.

A soft snort had Sixty shaking to hold back the laughter. He shook his head. "It can't have been worse than my first attempt with you." Funnily enough, it didn't hurt to admit that he hadn't been perfect from the get go. Somehow, Allen was making it okay to be learning, to make mistakes and a soft swell of love made Sixty nuzzle in closer in silent appreciation.

Allen was chuckling right along with Sixty, pleased that his boyfriend was happy enough to be laughing. He always loved hearing Sixty laugh, because it meant he felt comfortable. “I think we both made wildly different embarrassing mistakes” Allen said, “But we both clearly improved.” He punctuated that statement with a wink, gladly squeezing Sixty a little tighter as he nuzzled in.

The fact that Sixty had improved was another balm to his soul. He sighed and let himself be pulled even closer. "I'd go as far as saying you'd perfected the skill," he offered on the tail end of a yawn. "I've been the very grateful recipient of your talents." Eyes closed, he snuffled a little. It really was time to sleep. Maybe he would dream of Allen and their bikes rather than the team and his brain doing the greatest round of "what ifs" of how he could have fucked up.

Allen chuckled, replying “I very much enjoy using those talents on you.” That was very true, as Sixty was such a reactive and delightful subject. Plus, Allen knew he deserved the world, so any pleasure he could provide was good. Sensing that Sixty was falling asleep, Allen didn’t speak again, instead closing his own eyes. They had had a long day, they deserved a rest together.


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's the difference between White Knighting and genuinely wanting to look after someone? Sometimes it's a bit harder to answer than you'd think.
> 
> We recommend that you first read [chapter 8 of Stabilizers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25315246/chapters/65264665) before this chapter and the parallel [chapter 9 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166/chapters/65264779)

If Sixty hadn't been in the middle of washing up and singing loudly to himself, he would have noticed that his phone was ringing, Nines' number flashing on the screen. As it was, he was utterly absorbed in his own little world, enjoying the last few minutes of happiness before the world went to shit.

As soon as Allen got off the phone with Gavin, he was on his bike and racing to Sixty’s apartment. This was bad. Not only because of the possibility of Sixty’s abuser resurfacing, but because of the panic the mere thought of him would instill. Allen knew he needed to be there for his boyfriend. Running up to the door of the apartment, Allen knocked as calmly as he could manage, still in his biking jacket with his helmet in hand.

A knock at the door was unexpected but Sixty was in a good mood, hole still pleasantly aching from where he'd been riding a toy and thinking about his boyfriend earlier. So he opened the door with less of a scowl and more curious. "Hey! I wasn't expecting to see you tonight." He grinned wide when he saw Allen, face falling when he took in the slightly dishevelled look. "Everything okay?" Even as he spoke, Sixty was ushering Allen, worry eating away at his good mood.

Allen was surprised to find Sixty so calm, and he suddenly realized he must have beaten the bad news here. Shit. He hated to ruin his boyfriend’s night, but he knew he had to. “Actually not quite...” Allen said, letting Sixty usher him in and setting one hand on his arm, “Did you not get a call from Nines?” He wasn’t sure he was equipped to explain this the same way Sixty’s brother would be.

Mind and eyes going towards the sink (in which sat the dildo he was washing) out of sight, Sixty let out a very intelligent "errrr....". "I was busy?" he settled on but now he was cursing internally, itching to get to his phone. "What's happened? If Nines tried to call me, you're here. Shit. Is it Connor?" Sixty was making to get up, grab coat and shoes and be out the door as soon as he knew what the issue was.

Allen let out a somewhat hysterical laugh as he looked over and saw the dildo in the sink. Of course. He wished that he could make a lewd joke instead of saying what he had to say instead. Holding onto Sixty’s arm to keep him there, Allen tried to explain in the calmest and simplest words possible “Elijah Kamski has resurfaced. He made contact with Gavin without him knowing, and we’re all meeting at Connor’s apartment to strategize. But you’re safe right now, I promise.”

The world froze before it started crumbling. Sixty took a juddering breath as he tried to hold things together. Now was not the time to fall apart, even if this was their worst nightmare coming to life. First things first though, "Is Gavin okay?"

Of all the things Allen had expected Sixty to say, that wasn’t it. He froze for a second, then said “Uh, yes? I mean, he’s upset, obviously, but he’s okay.” It warmed his heart to hear Sixty being concerned for his friend, but at the same time Allen wasn’t sure what the point of the question was.

That was a relief at least. If Gavin was unharmed then maybe Elijah hadn't sunk his claws in too far. Focusing in that rather than the imminent panic, Sixty clawed himself back together. "Connor's place you say? Want to hitch a ride with me?" Once he knew his family was all accounted for and safe, then Sixty could fall apart. Living a nightmare he had feared all his life meant he had to keep his cool until things were on track because he didn't know how Connor or Nines would handle things.

Allen was honestly shaken by how well Sixty was taking this. And part of him felt bad about the fact that he had thought so little of his boyfriend. Had he wanted to play the white knight so badly? Shaking his head slightly to clear it, Allen replied “If you think you’re safe to drive, then yes.” He didn’t want to make Sixty feel like he wasn’t capable.

A small laugh bubbled out of Sixty at that. He didn't want to think about why Allen questioned his safety to drive. "Come on. Connor's is a bit of a trek."

Allen decided that maybe it was better if he kept his mouth shut. All of his expectations had been wrong, and suddenly  _ he _ felt off balance. Which was fucked up. Swallowing down a sigh, he followed Sixty out and got on the bike behind him, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend to hold on.

The ride was smooth, Sixty keeping his focus on the immediate issues. Small steps towards the bigger issue, always much more manageable. They pulled up outside a block of flats which were a little run down, definitely less well off than where Sixty and Nines lived. Dismounting, he offered Allen a hand and walked them to the front door. Ringing a bell without a name attached, they waited until the connection clicked. "It's us," Sixty said. The door buzzed open.

Allen had never been to Connor’s apartment before, and he was surprised to see the state of the place. It was not what he had expected, honestly, but he didn’t say anything. No, Allen wasn’t opening his mouth again unless he was needed. Instead, he just squeezed his boyfriend’s hand and walked into the apartment with him.

Even though Sixty knocked sharply on the door twice in rapid succession, he pulled keys from his pocket and let himself and Allen in. "Con?" He called, moving through the apartment with familiarity, not bothering with shoes or anything like that. The blur of a shape was all the warning they got and then Connor was clinging to Sixty in a tight embrace which was being returned just as fiercely.

Allen followed slowly, taking in his surroundings carefully. The SWAT captain in him was cataloguing the possible entries and exits from this room and the next. Luckily, by the time Connor appeared and swept Sixty up, Hank also showed up in the doorway to the next room. Allen crossed the distance between them and the two friends embraced briefly, sharing a loaded nod before turning back to watch their boyfriends embracing.

Clinging to Connor, Sixty took comfort in the reassurance that he was okay. As much as his brothers worried for him, he and Nines had equal amounts of concern for Connor. "We're okay, we'll figure it out." He broke away after a long moment and turned to the other two with the offer of getting drinks. Connor could sit down, pull Hank next to him if needed, Sixty would take care of the hospitality side of things until Nines and Gavin showed up.

Allen felt a slight warmth of pride surge through him as he watched Sixty care for his brother. It was good to see how much they truly cared for each other, even if Allen and Connor hadn’t had the best of starts. Allen settled down on the sofa next to Hank, who instinctively wrapped an arm around Connor. Casting about for something to do that wasn’t ‘follow Sixty around like an idiot’, Allen ended up petting Sumo, who was upset he couldn’t be on the sofa.

Six servings of water in six mismatched glasses arrived on a burn stained tray. Plus a large saucepan filled to the brim for Sumo. "Let them in, will you?" Sixty nodded towards the door as the buzzer went off and he settled on the floor by Allen's feet, leaning into his leg.


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sixty needs some reassurance and comfort, finally, but is this the right time for it? Right in front of the salad?
> 
> This chapter runs parallel to two others, and it is recommended you read them in this order: [Chapter 10 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166/chapters/65500255), this chapter, and then [Chapter 9 of Stabilizers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25315246/chapters/65500462).

Sumo immediately went to the water and began lapping at it loudly, making a mess on Connor’s carpet. The good news was that it left Allen’s hands free to settle Sixty against his legs, bracketing him in as best he could. Allen remembered at the last minute that it might not be a good idea to pet at Sixty’s hair right now, so instead he simply reached down and pressed gentle fingers to the side of his boyfriend’s neck, trying to reassure him with touch alone.

The touch was so very welcome and Sixty leaned into it in quiet appreciation. He needed the soft, wordless grounding of his boyfriend. It was such a relief to know that even when things went tits up, Allen was there, a steady, unruffled rock. Once everyone was sat, he cleared his throat. "So, we need to figure out just what exactly Kamski knows." He looked to Gavin expectantly.

Allen kept up the soft stroking as Sixty leaned into him. This, at least, he could provide for his boyfriend. When Gavin finally trailed into the room though, his heart fell for his friend. Allen exchanged a quiet look with Hank as they both realized he wasn’t going to handle this well at all. “Take whatever time you need.” Allen cautioned, not wanting Gavin to panic and further throw himself off balance. Not that there was much balance in his expression right now.

It was reassuring that Allen was so predictable in his careful care with everyone. Sixty pressed into him a little harder. "We're not blaming you for any of this. We just need to know what we're up against," Sixty tried to reassure, eyes jumping from Gavin to Nines, then to Connor. His brothers weren't being overly helpful in the moment so he had to take charge.

Allen felt the pressure against his leg and let himself feel some measure of comfort from that. It was comforting, too, to see how each of the couples were supporting one another, drawing close for strength. Allen nodded along as Sixty spoke, wanting Gavin to be sure that he also didn’t assign any blame.

That didn't sound too bad. A fiance called Ni, work location and a city might just mean that they could get away with this only being a scare. If only they were that lucky, Sixty had no doubt that by now, Elijah had dug up information on Gavin's fiance and found that he had struck gold. Sixty couldn't let himself be too optimistic. "Okay." He had no idea what to say next, his words dried up.

Allen could understand from the way the brothers talked about this that it was a much worse situation than just being known and stalked. This was possibly dangerous for all of them, and he suddenly had a better idea of why Sixty hated his apartment address being known. "What are the precautions you three would usually take?" Allen asked, wanting to get a baseline.

Precautions? Their whole lives were a carefully constructed precaution. It drew a bitter laugh from Sixty, dark and without any humour. "We hide. You know our addresses are protected. We don't do anything to draw attention to ourselves. No big cases, no breakthroughs. We are the most average we can manage even if we could be brilliant." The bitterness of it seeped through his voice, lending it a sinister tone.

Allen's heart felt like it was being squeezed by a vice as he listened to Sixty describe their lives that way. What a horrible way to live. He wanted to....well, he wanted to do a lot of things, most of them illegal. "Fuck that. You shouldn't have to be on the run forever." He said before he could stop himself, then reeled it back in. "But it's not my place to say what you should do. Whatever you need to do to feel safe, I'll help however I can."

But if they didn't run, they would be destroyed. If not outright murdered then driven to the point where death seemed like the most bearable option. "What would you do?" The question was in equal measures genuine curiosity and also a chance for Gavin to have pressure taken off him.

Allen was silent for a few moments, clearly weighing his options and trying not to say anything that might come out wrong. He was trying to balance his boyfriend's feelings and his desire to protect him and that was a tightrope to walk indeed. Eventually, he said "I would need time to assess Kamski. Know his resources, his intentions. What he's most likely to try. I would stand and fight, try to put him off. But that's not my choice to make, not when I'm not affected by his presence or targeted by his actions."

"Well, now's your chance to assess because he is most definitely going to be coming after you," Sixty spat bitterly. He cursed his weakness for letting Allen get so close to him, for allowing his heart to win out over his head. "His resources are unlimited, he is stupidly rich. As for intention? That slimy git will work his way into your good books, try to turn you against me with kindness and his seeming friendship. If he can't then he will destroy you. Your career? Gone. Your credit history? In ruins. You'll end up hating me for it and turn on me for that anyway." His voice wavered over the last few words, the reality of the enormity of the problem sinking its claws into him at long last. Sixty tried to tamp down, he couldn't fall apart. Not yet. The others still needed him.

Allen's careful tone and consideration flew out the window at the return of one of his least favorite of Sixty's hobbies - pretending that Allen was going to somehow turn on him. "Now let's get one thing fucking straight right away." Allen said, voice firm and tinged with the slightest hint of anger, "There is not a chance in hell that this scenario ends with any of us hating any of you, or feeling anything but disgust for this Kamski guy. I don't even have to ask Hank or Gavin, because I'm sure they feel the same way. So you can leave that assumption out of your plans for the rest of this discussion, thank you."

There was a silence between Sixty and Allen as he turned to eye his boyfriend from the floor. They stared at each other until Sixty finally broke. "Right, so that's me a little bit scared and a little bit horny. Thanks." The cushion Connor threw at his head thudded into him, knocking him back a little and he squawked indignantly.

Allen's serious demeanor crumbled as Sixty made one of his signature jokes, then got hit by his brother for his troubles. He laughed, the sound tight and not as joyful as usual, but he still laughed. "Of course you are. You're welcome I guess." He said, reaching down to pat Sixty on the cheek.

Purring into the touch, Sixty preened a little, moving to kiss the hand on his cheek. Though when Connor made a pointed jab about sex he pulled away to throw the cushion back at his twin. "Like I'd be crass enough for the bathroom. I like a proper, soft bed to lie back on while my stud does all the work." While his smile was sharp, his eyes darted to Allen, hesitant about whether this kind of joking was actually okay or not.

Allen saw the question in Sixty's eyes and saw how Hank was clearly trying to lighten the mood, and....well, it couldn't hurt. And it was keeping them all away from looking at Gavin, who was paler than he had any right to be right now. So Allen joined in as well. "Yeah, we're not going to let you nab the bedroom just cause you're old, Hank. We've all got needs" Allen teased, winking at his friend in obvious jest.

"Well," Sixty laughed. "I guess Nines and Gavin have the bed then, Connor and Hank have the sofa. So you and me? We can either have the bathtub or the kitchen."

"Or you could make it a party and stay with us," Connor added. "As long as you're quiet and subtle if you're going to do something untoward." While it was a joke, Sixty was half tempted to be lewd just to piss his brother off. Though that was probably not a good idea in the moment. There was a line between teasing and being a prick.

“Up to you, darling,” Allen said with a genuine smile. He could see the appeal for his boyfriend either way - in the bathroom they’d be isolated and have a private space to talk and be emotional, but in the living room with Hank and Connor, Sixty would have the comfort of his brother. Allen certainly wasn’t going to pretend he could decide which one would be better. The only obvious thing was that Allen had no intention of fooling around if they stayed in the same room - that was crossing a bunch of lines he intended to leave intact.

Leaning up, Sixty tugged Allen down with a mischief filled smirk. "Think we can gross them out with excessive making out noises and moans?" Hank's threat about Sumo had him getting excited and he ignored Connor's words. It wasn't like he planned on getting frisky with Allen, he just liked jesting about it to draw a reaction.

Allen could tell that Sixty wasn’t serious, so he wasn’t too worried about it. But any further jokes were lost under the image of Sumo walking in mid sex, and Allen pulled a face. “This is why I don’t have pets!” He announced, watching as Sumo butted up against his boyfriend in the hopes of getting attention.

"I don't know, we've not tried puppy play. I promise I'm house trained." Sixty winked up at him as he began sinking his fingers into Sumo's fur and telling him he's a wonderful boy. It was so much easier to focus on the stupid things than the simmering panic he was keeping at bay. His brothers needed time to cope, his own breakdown could wait. "Anybody else hungry? I'm kind of peckish."

Allen snorted, although he couldn’t deny the little thrill of heat he got at the idea of another kink to explore with Sixty. Once all this was over. That was a comforting thought, actually, them having time together to enjoy each other once this was all over. Honestly, Allen was amazed at how well Sixty was handling this, but he wasn’t going to question him. Instead, he looked to Connor and agreed “Chinese sounds good. We could all use something easy and greasy I think.”

Food theory settled and Sixty's offer of contributing to it rebuffed, he was at a bit of a loss. The stress and worry was making him fidgety, full of unspent energy. As much as they'd been joking about sex, Sixty wouldn't have minded half an hour of privacy with a lube and some kind of toy. By this point, he wasn't fussy, any toy would have done. "So, what shall we do while we wait for food?" Sixty's voice was pitched low and seductive, only half joking. "You said easy and greasy and, well, I'm easy. Plus I didn't wash my hair this morning."

Allen was watching his boyfriend like a hawk this whole time, so he saw the beginnings of that nervous energy start to pop up. The difference in his expression, the way he leaned closer, the cheap sex joke. It prompted a bit of a quandary for Allen, because as much as he did want to offer Sixty some relief, they were very much in close quarters here. His hand came down to cup Sixty’s cheek and he murmured “You’re not easy, you’re the best. But I don’t think we’re exactly in a position right now to let me prove that.”

Breath catching in his throat, Sixty stared at Allen with wide eyes. Nobody had called him out so gently before. And definitely not with such gentleness that promised care. He swallowed, suddenly not sure what to do. His shoulders dropped, face fell a little and eyes widened. "I know," he ended up whispering. Sixty's breathing hitched again as there was less holding back his panic now. With Allen staring at him, full of patience and love, Sixty had no idea what to do.

Ah. Maybe that had been a mistake. Clearly Allen had come on a little strong, because Sixty seemed like he was more panicked than before. “C’mere.” Allen said, patting his legs in offer, “Would a bit of a cuddle help?” He knew it was a risk to have a lap full of Sixty, but he was counting on his own self control to pull him through.

There was no need for a second invitation. Sixty was clambering up as quick as he could and straddling Allen's lap, wrapping around him as much as he could. It wasn't graceful or probably very becoming of him to be so needy but the offer had been there and he wasn't going to turn it down. He even remembered a mumbled "thank you" into the crook of his boyfriend's neck.

This was more what Allen had expected when he showed up to Sixty's apartment. He gladly welcomed his boyfriend into his arms, wrapping gently but firmly around him. "I'm glad to have you here" He murmured in reply, and that was the truth.

Allowing himself to cuddle like that had one definite disadvantage. Sixty felt protected and safe in Allen's arms and his resolve to stay strong began to crumble. It started with just his hands shaking but soon he was starting to tremble all over and he couldn't. Not yet. As quickly as he snuggled into Allen, he was pushing away, blinking away tears. "I'm sorry. I can't. Not yet." He hoped it made sense, that Allen wouldn't see it as a rejection of him and his protection but would understand that if Sixty gave in now, he would be useless to his brothers for a while. And with Nines out for the count, Connor being, well, Connor, Sixty had to keep his shit together.

Allen was surprised by the sudden way that Sixty pulled away, worried by the way he was starting to shake. He was frowning in worry as he looked up at his boyfriend. “It’s okay...” Allen murmured, unsure of what he was reassuring Sixty for. He didn’t quite understand what was happening inside Sixty’s head, hadn’t for this whole time, and this was no exception. He didn’t want to be overbearing, thinking of the last time he had tried to protect Sixty and been met with extreme resistance.

The food arriving and Connor leaving to get it gave Sixty enough time to ruefully send Allen a smile. "There's a time and place to fall apart and I can't afford to. Not yet." He gestured towards Connor then to the bedroom door. "If I let myself stay, I won't be of use to anyone." At least he was being an adult and using his words, trying to help Allen understand. Even if it didn't make a lot of sense, Sixty was honestly trying.

“You don’t always have to be useful.” Allen said softly, half reproach and half reminder, but he let Sixty clamber out of his lap without any resistance. It wasn’t his place, he reminded himself. It wasn’t his grief and panic to judge and control. Not like he knew anything about siblings.

But if Sixty wasn't going to be useful, then who would fix everything? Nines was out of commission, Connor was a liability. Which he'd already thought before but now he had a chance to voice. Except, the words wouldn't come. He couldn't throw his siblings under the bus like that, not now, not about something so big. "Someone has to. If I can spare the other two, I will," he insisted and settled to watch the door, waiting for the two with food to arrive.

Allen let a soft sigh escape, but he didn’t argue with Sixty further. He appreciated that Sixty wanted to spare his brothers, but self sacrifice was only worth it if you weren’t going to end up horribly hurting for it. And it seemed like his boyfriend was already feeling pretty terrible. “I’m here whenever you need me.” Allen offered, then turned his attention to Hank entering the room and distributing the food. That was a welcome distraction.

A quip about needing and meeting in the bathroom in five minutes died on Sixty's lips as his twin returned with Hank in tow. He wondered if they disappeared for a quick make-out session, they certainly were gone long enough. A hint of jealousy shot through him. It wasn't fair that they could go and do that while he was stuck in a room, not knowing when they were coming back so couldn't even get any relief. As Connor disappeared towards the kitchen, Sixty snorted and shook his head. If Hank followed him in there, he was jumping Allen, manners be damned.

Allen cocked his head curiously as he heard Sixty snort like that. He didn’t know what might have prompted that but he didn’t like it. It sounded like annoyance, which would be an unexpected emotional shift. Trying to remain neutral as possible, Allen leaned forward to start helping Hank unbox the takeout and get dinner ready. They would all benefit from food in their stomachs.

As predicted, Hank left the food to go and "help" Connor. Which was Sixty's chance to sidle up behind Allen, wrap his arms around a trim waist and bodily plaster himself against his boyfriend, hip nudging up. "Hey handsome," he purred low against Allen's neck. "Fancy finding you here and it's now just the two of us."

Every time Allen thought he had a handle on Sixty’s mood swings, his boyfriend seemed to take that as a challenge. Suddenly he was being held in a  _ very _ suggestive manner, Sixty’s voice and his hips saying everything about his intentions. “Ah. Well, it’s a shame that we won’t be alone for too long.” Allen murmured, feeling immediately like this was a bad idea. No matter how much he wanted to just lean back and let Sixty have his way, he stayed still.

A pout was rapidly forming on Sixty's lips as Allen didn't play along. That wasn't part of his plan at all, he had been hoping for wild and enthusiastic consent. Pushing his luck, he slipped a hand lower to run against Allen's cock through his pants. "Bathroom?" The suggestion was lewd, full of promise and absolutely shameless. For a bit of extra convincing, Sixty rocked his hips, showing Allen just what they could be doing.

Allen’s protests were cut off mid grumble by the hand on his cock, and then more unpleasantly by the sensation of locking eyes with Hank Anderson while he was getting his cock fondled.  _ Fuck _ . “Hey, nothing was happening that would impact the food” Allen promised, cheeks flushing regardless as he looked back at Sixty in a plea for him to step away. He really didn’t want to upset his boyfriend with an aggressive refusal but...

The comment of "well, at least it wasn't in front of your salad" got lost in the rage when Connor called Sixty Silas. He stepped away from Allen to round on his twin. The comments hurt, they were expertly pressing on all his buttons and insecurities, all he needed now was to be mocked for his inexperience in bed with an actual partner. "Well, at least my coping mechanism is healthy!" He shot back, knowing it was a low blow.

Allen immediately shifted into panic mode as Sixty stalked over to Connor. That was definitely not what he had been hoping for when he hoped Sixty would step away. And the name...he had almost forgotten that was Sixty’s name. It certainly wasn’t a good sign that the twins were at each other’s throat like this. “Sixty, hey, look at me” Allen tried, stepping up close to him and setting a hand on his arm, “Now is not the time to get in a fight, okay?”

The snarl got stuck in Sixty's throat and he had to focus on not throwing the unwelcome touch off his arm. Allen wasn't the issue here, Connor was. "At least my coping mechanism is good for everyone involved," he hissed, glowering at Connor. It was another low blow but Sixty wasn't wanting to play nice. If Connor was spoiling for a fight, he would give as good as he got. And it looked like his twin was aiming to let this get to blows.

Allen made eye contact with Hank as the brothers continued to yell at one another, and they both silently agreed with a nod to step in to make sure they didn’t come to actual blows. Carefully, like he would at work, Allen began to work his way physically in front of Sixty, first with his arm and then with his whole body. He’d gladly take a blow if it meant they could diffuse this situation. Allen was so focused on the possible fight that he didn’t even look back at the sound of someone coming into the room. But the look on everyone’s faces told him it wasn’t a good addition.


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Food and sleep make everything better, especially when comfort is needed.
> 
> This chapter runs parallel to two others. We recommend you read them in this order: This chapter, [Chapter 11 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166/chapters/66184093), and [Chapter 10 of Stabilisers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25315246/chapters/66184216).

That last barb from Connor would have been enough for Sixty to get him in a headlock but Nines' appearance cut that short. Hands on Allen's shoulders, he moved his boyfriend out of the way and crouched next to his brother, ignoring Connor on the other side. "It's okay," he murmured, pulling Nines close. "We were stupid. Shouldn't have let emotions run away like that. I'm sorry." The tears didn't look like they were stopping and Sixty used the hem of his jumper to wipe at Nines' face. "Get some water and tissues," he ordered Connor who looked like he might fight him. But another look at Nines and he relented.

Allen gladly stepped aside as Sixty moved to comfort his brother, letting out a relieved sigh as the conflict dissipated. He couldn’t really do much to help comfort Nines, but he did hear a plea for Gavin. That he could help with. “I’ll go wake Gavin” Allen said, walking into the bedroom to fetch his friend. The sight of him curled up miserably on the bed...fuck, that made Allen’s heart twist in his chest. They really were in a bad situation here, weren’t they? A gentle hand on Gavin’s shoulder was enough to have him awake, and he instinctively bolted for the door without Allen even needing him to say anything.

With Connor off to get food, it fell to Sixty to guide Nines to the table. He tried not to remember all the times they had done something similar. Growing up, one of them in the middle while the other two supported. His own emotions were all over the place and Sixty was struggling to keep them under control. Something had to give and he was determined not to break. There weren't enough seats by the table for everyone, in this instance Nines and Gavin took priority. "I'll sit on the floor," he said to no one in particular. Someone else could have the sofa if they wanted.

Allen took a moment to gather himself in the bedroom before walking back out. He saw Sixty guiding his brother and Gavin to the table, and walked forward to help without thinking. Allen pulled out the chairs for them, and made sure that Gavin was situated close to Nines. When Sixty offered to sit on the floor, Allen’s first thought was to offer his lap as a chair, in a totally platonic way. But unfortunately that might come across in all the wrong ways, so instead he said simply “I’ll join you,” and flopped down next to his boyfriend with the hint of a smile.

Grabbing the box, Sixty scowled at Connor and moved to get cutlery for himself and Allen. It also gave him a chance to crouch next to Nines and encourage him to eat. "We're like those sodding adverts. Food always makes things better," he said once he was back next to Allen.

Allen shrugged and took another bite of his own food. The atmosphere was tense, but he had hope now that they could manage it. “Food does make everything better, ad or no.” He said simply, offering Sixty a bite of his food out of habit.

There was a joke there about something else making things better too. But considering that it had been the catalyst of the argument, Sixty decided to keep his trap shut and accepted the offered morsel. Slowly, he worked his way through his food, slipping lower and lower down the wall he was leaning against. Maybe sleep wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Allen, who was watching Sixty carefully the whole time he was eating, noticed the droop to his posture. Gently, he took the takeout container from his hands and positioned him so he was leaning on Allen’s shoulder. A little nap like this wouldn’t hurt. Then they could get him to bed properly.

There was some comfort in Allen letting Sixty snuggle against his shoulder. Squirming around, he found a comfortable position and closed his eyes. Everyone else could handle things for a bit for a change. Idly pressing a kiss to Allen's shoulder, he settled back.

Allen let himself relax as well and settle into being a glorified pillow for a bit. He liked feeling Sixty relaxing against him - that was good for a lot of reasons. And he hoped the physical contact helped as well, because even if they couldn’t fuck he still wanted to be there for his boyfriend.

Sixty was out for the count. The dramatics, stress and emotional rollercoaster was too much and he needed a break on his own terms. He slouched lower, heavy against Allen, blissfully unaware of everything for a little while. It didn't even matter he was going to get a crick in his neck and probably a sore back. He had Allen next to him and that was the most important.

Allen quietly shifted them so Sixty was more comfortably positioned with his head in his lap. It felt almost peaceful, all of his attention on the sleeping form of his boyfriend. Like this, Sixty didn’t look so worn down. Allen smiled softly to himself, the other occupants of the room all but forgotten.

The shifting around roused Sixty a little and he hummed in question, eyes briefly flicking open to peer up at Allen. Reassured by his boyfriend's presence, Sixty closed his eyes again and snuggled against Allen's stomach, nuzzling in.

Allen smiled down and Sixty and made a few gentle soothing noises in response. He was hoping to lull him off to sleep properly before picking him up to carry him into the bathroom. After that argument it was better to give the two twins some space, he thought. 'Thank you' Allen mouthed as Connor handed them bedding. It was comforting to know he still cared enough to be kind about this.

It was such a brief glance up, Sixty wouldn't even remember it in the morning. All he knew was that he was safe, that Allen would protect him. Going lax, Sixty fell into a deeper sleep.

Once he felt Sixty completely relax, Allen bundled him up in his arms and carried him into the bathroom. It was a dumb move, maybe, but he didn't like the idea of sleeping on the floor in the kitchen where Sumo could come bother them. All he wanted to do was bundle his boyfriend in his arms for a proper snuggle, and that's exactly what he did. With the curtain pulled shut and the blankets and pillows piled around them, the tub was almost comfortable and comforting - a little capsule for just the two of them. Allen drifted off to sleep rather quickly after getting settled, the exhaustion finally catching up to him.


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping in the bathroom isn't quite the best plan in a house with other occupants...But that isn't really the worst of Allen and Sixty's problems.
> 
> This chapter runs parallel to one other. We recommend you read [Chapter 12 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166/chapters/66312856) first, then this one.

Sleeping in a tub was never comfortable. Sixty would know, he was no stranger to it thanks to his emotional meltdowns. But it was rare to find himself so thoroughly huddled and wrapped up with a solid wall of muscle keeping him secure. Cracking an eye open, Sixty took in the pulled in curtains, Allen half under him and still asleep. The sound of something trickling made his head whip up with a "the fuck?" and he opened the curtain to see what on earth was going on.

Allen slept incredibly soundly with Sixty in his arms, the worry of the day keeping him sleeping peacefully despite the anger of his back at the sleeping accommodations. It wasn’t until Sixty started shifting on top of him that he groaned and started to wake up. “Wha...?”

"Go back to sleep," Sixty soothed and stuck his head out of the curtain to glare at Hank. "In the nicest of ways but I think the only words I have for you right now are: piss off." There was no way he was going to be able to go back to sleep after this though. The tub was too cramped, he was too wired. Once Hank got out, he'd probably get up to take a pee too, then he'd go make himself useful.

Allen's body wanted to go back to sleep, but his brain was too concerned with Sixty being awake and talking. His eyes slowly fluttered open and he frowned up at the blurry outline of his boyfriend. "You okay? What's wrong?" He asked, voice still slurred with sleep.

Trying to sooth Allen back to sleep, Sixty carded a hand through sleep mussed hair. "Nothing's wrong, it was just Hank. You go back to sleep." He pecked Allen on the lips and shimmied out of the tub, proud that he didn't trip and take the curtains with him. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep so he might as well make himself useful. Breakfast for six was going to be a fun task, it was time to discover what Connor had in his kitchen.

Well that just wasn’t going to happen. Allen wasn’t going to let Sixty just get up and leave without him. “Sixty, babe, wait” he mumbled, struggling to sit up in the tub. Oh yeah, shit, he had bundled them up in the tub. His head was swimming with the events of last night, maybe if he got up and had some coffee he would be in a better frame of mind.

As asked, Sixty waited and turned to face Allen. He looked all sorts of adorable, sleep mussed and dazed. Though Sixty did suspect that if he was asked to do anything complex, he would have been as useful as a sniffer dog in a hazmat suit. "When I woke up in the tub, I was worried I'd had another episode," he admitted softly. Part of him still worried he had but just couldn't remember. Things got a little hazy from around the time they started eating.

Allen scrubbed his face in an attempt to wake up, and then slowly scrambled his way out of the tub. He managed not to pull the curtain down, but he definitely had to clutch at the wall to stay upright. “Sorry, just gotta get my footing.” He mumbled, then yawned so hard his jaw cracked. But when Sixty said that so softly and with such worry, Allen immediately focused on him. “No, you were fine last night. Just tired, and I wanted you to get some sleep lying down properly.” He explained, “You fell asleep sitting up and I carried you.”

Sixty had no idea what he had done to deserve Allen but he wasn't going to question it. Instead, he offered a small smile and pulled his boyfriend closer. "Thank you, you're too good to me." As Allen seemed determined to accompany him, Sixty softly led them through the flat, ending up in the kitchen. He settled Allen on the counter and began looking through the cupboards. There wasn't much but enough for pancakes. Passing a bowl and a few ingredients over to Allen, he smiled. "Be my sous-chef. Mix these." While Allen was busy with that, Sixty pulled pans, plates and pancake fillings out, getting things ready for when everyone woke up.

Allen smiled tiredly and just kissed Sixty on the cheek in answer. He didn’t have the energy now to tell his boyfriend just why he loved him and therefore wasn’t too good to him, so that would have to do. He chuckled as he was handed a task to do, and dutifully did his best at mixing. “You’d Look cute with an apron, cooking like this” he said gently, clearly honest with the compliment.

"Buy me an apron and I'll cook for you like this at home," he replied and set about cooking. It was something he was familiar with, he'd spent enough time in the kitchen while growing up, sorting breakfast for everyone. While a pancake was slowly cooking, he stood between Allen's legs and stole a kiss. "You're handling this surprisingly well. Are you okay?" He genuinely cared and worried. In his experience, such calmness only meant a delayed and quite disproportionate reaction.

“Oh hell yeah” Allen murmured, pleased at the idea of Sixty swanning about in the kitchen. Domesticity was a good look on Sixty, in his opinion. “Maybe we should cook some more together.” He suggested with a slow smile. With the pancakes now cooking, Allen was more awake and back to himself, ready to handle Sixty’s questions. He set his hands on his boyfriend’s waist, holding him there. “I’m fine. Worried, sure, but I’m not going to have a breakdown or anything.” Allen reassured him, “Mostly I’m worried about helping you as best I can, the stress of the situation itself, well...I work on the SWAT team.” High stress was the norm for him.

The idea of cooking together made Sixty's heart soar. He only really knew basic meals that were quick and filling, made little mess and required few ingredients. The idea of doing something a little more extravagant with Allen sounded like a real treat. "You help by just being here. By being you," he reassured. Because it was the truth. They couldn't really act against Elijah, all they could do was cower, hide and hope they have become too insignificant in his eyes. Not that there was much chance of that. Just thinking about it made Sixty feel like his insides were being squeezed. 

Thankfully distraction appeared in the form of Connor and Hank. He was still annoyed at Connor but sleep and food tended to put things a little into perspective. "You could always go sit at the table, make out a bit and we'll bring you pancakes while you play footsie."

Allen enjoyed cooking, and he had a feeling he would enjoy it even more with Sixty in the kitchen. Maybe they’d get more done, or maybe less, depending on if Sixty wore anything under the apron. “I just want to keep you safe and happy” Allen admitted softly, “And right now I feel like I’m failing at that. But I’m going to stick it out, I’ll stay by your side no matter what happens. He felt like that was important to say, especially with Sixty worries about him. Allen had his hands resting on Sixty’s waist to hold him closer when Connor and Hank appeared, and he made no move to change that. Hank got a pleasant nod and a smile, but he kept out of it otherwise.

"You aren't responsible for me or anyone else," Sixty said once his twin and Hank left. "You aren't failing anything. I deeply appreciate you being here but my well being is not something that falls under your jurisdiction. So please don't torment yourself with such noble notions." He finished making the pancake in the pan before turning to give Allen a quick kiss and disappeared to deliver pancakes to the others.

Allen bristled slightly at the wording Sixty chose, managing to hit on his one insecurity in all of this. He held his tongue as Sixty left to deliver the pancakes, trying to figure out the best way to breach the subject without sounding like he was whining. “Is that what this is to you? Me white knighting or something?” Allen finally asked once Sixty was back in the kitchen with him, his voice low.

Flabbergasted, Sixty took a step back, reeling at the accusation. That wasn't at all what he had said or thought. He just didn't want his boyfriend to feel responsible for his mental health. "No?" He fidgeted a little with the hem of his shirt. "I just want to be your equal and not someone you feel you have to haul along and always be worried about." Nervous all of a sudden, he swallowed and chewed the inside of his lower lip. Maybe he had fucked up again. But this time he hadn't even noticed it. The bickering with Connor, this whole family business, all of it felt like one massive cock up and he didn't know how to climb out of it with everyone else intact.

Allen hated causing Sixty distress like this, but he needed to get it off his chest. It had been weighing on him since yesterday, when Sixty had brushed off his attempts at comfort initially. “I don’t feel like that, I know you’re an adult. You don’t have to hide your worries from me to make me believe that.” Allen tried to explain, “But I just...I care about you, so I want to help you. Protect you if I can. And I worry that you don’t want that, or you find it demeaning.” The closest thing he had to a family, his team, they all looked after each other. They kept each other safe, and they worried if they couldn’t. It was just something they did. And sometimes Allen felt like he could do that with Sixty, and sometimes he didn’t.

How could Sixty explain all this when words just didn't seem to do justice to everything going on in his head? Each time he had tried before, he'd ended up causing hurt or problems. Still, he was at breaking point and Sixty didn't think he could pull Allen along without trying one last time to be honest. "I don't want to shrug this off onto you. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be pulled into this mess. And if I let you care, let you shoulder some of this, I will either break and be useless or it will look like I'm passing the buck." It was all or nothing, as far as Sixty was concerned. He was trying his hardest to keep everyone safe but failing spectacularly. "I think I'd like to go home now, I'm obviously not useful here anymore." He had work to go to and with Connor being a prickly bastard, he didn't especially want to stick around.

“Says who?” Allen blurted out, totally confused and now more upset, “I certainly don’t feel that way. You’re not useless for needing help, I  _ want _ to help you!” He reigned himself back in, taking a few calming breaths to center his thoughts. Sixty didn’t need him adding stress to his life right now. “I can’t just sit here and watch you push yourself, okay? I’m your boyfriend, that means more than just...sitting around and enjoying the good times.” He tried to explain, but his shoulders slumped as he realized Sixty was just going to run away from this. And he was going to take Allen’s ride. Oh well, he’d just take a taxi. Allen made no move to stop Sixty from leaving. He had tried that before in their last fight and his boyfriend had gone catatonic. Which was pretty much the last thing he wanted right now.

Was Sixty running away? Absolutely. Did he wish that Allen chased after him like they were in some romantic movie. Without a doubt. But was Allen actually coming after him? No. Everything was catching up with him and, out in the parking lot, he slumped against the wall, not caring who saw him. They'd all just assume he was Connor anyway. Most people did already. Except the SWAT team. His stomach lurched at that. Of the few people who actually bothered to appreciate he was not Connor, he had managed to hurt them too. Suddenly, the world was closing in and Sixty's mind circled on the fact that all he was good for was hurting people. Offending the SWAT team, pissing Connor off, rejecting the help Allen was trying to offer him. Sixty didn't deserve anyone or anything. And that hurt. He buried his face in the crook of his elbow and tried not to cry.

“Oh shut the fuck up Connor”, Allen snapped, having come out of the kitchen after Sixty left the apartment, “It’s none of your business what I do.” It was childish and immature, but he didn’t feel particularly like being kind to Connor. In Allen’s opinion, he did nothing but sow discord and cause problems, and he was at his limit for both of them right now. Shooting Connor a particularly venomous look, Allen cursed under his breath and grabbed his shoes. Because of course he was going to go after Sixty. He couldn’t handle him like any other boyfriend, where a fight like this would just take time for them both to cool off. Sixty was probably, god, crying in the parking lot or worse. And if he was actually gone when Allen got out there, well… Then he’d figure things out from there.


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sixty tries, yet again, to break things off. Will Allen's weakened resolve be enough to weather another attempted breakup?
> 
> This chapter runs parallel to two others. We recommend you read them in this order: [Chapter 13 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166/chapters/66481294), [Chapter 11 of Stabilisers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25315246/chapters/66481408), and this chapter.

The problem with a pity party was that the tears made it difficult to drive safely. Not that Sixty was anywhere near his bike, nor was he in a fit state to ride really. Everything he had bottled up was exploding outward and he was trying to keep things quiet. It was unseemly for a grown man to sob in a parking lot, no matter how empty. He didn't bother trying to get up or doing anything really. It wasn't a full meltdown he was having, he could still think and do shit, he just didn't have the energy or the drive for it.

Still mad, Allen didn’t have to go too far to find Sixty, crying in the parking lot. His heart twisted awkwardly in his chest as he looked at his boyfriend clearly having a terrible breakdown. Even angry and upset, he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to help, to comfort. Trying to find a middle ground, Allen walked over and sat down next to Sixty, just leaning against him to show he was there.

The warm body settling next to Sixty was unexpected. Glancing up to find Allen, Sixty cried harder. "I'm sorry," he managed to grit out between sobs. Despite everything he had put Allen through, his boyfriend was still there, next to him and giving support where none had been earned. And Sixty was a weak man, he craved what Allen offered, leaned into his touch.

Allen sighed and slung an arm around Sixty’s shoulder when he leaned into him. “I’m sorry too.” He muttered, because he was. He was sorry they were both so bad at this whole relationship thing, and that he couldn’t just be what Sixty needed. He was sorry he had taken away the only support his boyfriend had in the house, and made him have to break down in the parking lot. Really, there was a lot he was sorry for.

That only made Sixty cry harder. If Allen was sorry too, that could only mean the worst. "I keep bringing misery to everyone. My family, you, your team." His voice was thick with tears, breath catching. "I'm no good for you. And I'm sorry for selfishly keeping you. You should go. I can't bring you the happiness you deserve. I can't even fuck you properly." His heart was breaking at the prospect of losing Allen. But Sixty didn't want to be a monster who kept someone as wonderful as Allen a captive, brought him down until Allen was as broken as him.

Allen’s heart ached as Sixty tried, yet again, to break things off. He was so tired already, so exhausted from trying to hold things together, that part of him wanted to just give up. To say that yeah, maybe they needed some space right now so they could both figure things out. Maybe it would be easier that way. Allen thought about it, he really did. But the thought of letting Sixty get away with being so cruel to himself made him want to be sick. There was no way he could let this sweet, loving man go away from this situation believing such terrible lies about himself. Not when Allen cared so much about him. Not when he was the opposite of everything he tried to pretend he was. Squeezing him closer, Allen turned to look at Sixty, to try and meet his eyes through the haze of tears. “Don’t you fucking dare tell me what to do” he said firmly, “And how dare you say all those terrible things about yourself.” Allen took a few more deep breaths to calm his nerves and said in a quieter voice “I don’t want to break up with you Sixty. I love you, even when things are tough like this.”

The worst thing was, Sixty truly believed Allen loved him. And he loved Allen in turn too. Sixty sniffled and threw all concept of composure to the wind. He twisted to wrap around his boyfriend, grateful and terrified at the same time. "I think I'm broken. And I don't know how to fix myself," he whimpered, quaking and shivering with a fresh bout of tears.

Allen wrapped Sixty up firmly in his arms, holding him close as he sobbed. This wasn’t the best place to do this, out here in the parking lot of a rundown apartment complex, but Allen couldn’t bring himself to care. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of Sixty’s head where he was pressed in close. “You’re not broken. You’re just a little banged up, that’s all.” He murmured, “Just like the rest of us.”

Somehow, that didn't help. Allen was being too nice, too understanding and Sixty had no idea how to deal with that. So he stayed silent, shook through silent cries. It was ridiculous, it was only the morning but he was already exhausted and ready to sleep for a week again. "I feel like a house of cards," he sniffled. But he wasn't ready to let Allen go yet. Work, life, hell the entire world could wait just a little longer for them.

“I know...that’s why I was trying to help you” Allen said gently. He hated that Sixty was trying so hard not to make a sound while he cried, but he didn’t want to stress him out further so he didn’t mention it. Instead his hand just patted gently at his boyfriend’s back, trying to reassure him with his presence.

Gradually, the tears dried up but Sixty didn't want to get up. He wanted to hide, to let Allen deal with the world for a bit longer. "Will I see you this evening?" he asked, hopeful and yet dreading the rejection he was expecting. Without a doubt, Allen would want time to himself, away from the drama, away from the drain that Sixty and his family was.

Allen nodded without thinking, and squeezed Sixty a little closer. “Of course. If you want to.” He added the addendum maybe a little too quickly, but he was still recovering as well.

"Despite appearances, I do really value your company," Sixty sniffled. "You're always welcome in my home." Rummaging through his pockets, Sixty pulled his house keys from them and shoved them at Allen. "Always welcome."

Allen almost said something like 'please stop trying to break up with me then' but he stopped himself. That was a bit of a cruel joke on a good day, and not appropriate when Sixty had just bawled his eyes out. So instead he just pressed a kiss to Sixty's cheek. His boyfriend offering him the keys to his apartment had something warm swelling up in Allen's chest. Warm and possessive and wonderful. But he had to be the voice of reason right now. Closing his hand around Sixty's so that the keys were cradled in his palm again, Allen replied "Thank you...but you should hang onto these for now. Until we can get a copy made, I want you to be the one who has control over your space."

It wasn't a rejection. Sixty had to repeat it to himself even as his keys were refused. Because of course Allen was kind enough to know when Sixty needed to keep control. But it was still a bit of a slap to the face, a part of Sixty was burning with shame at his offer not being accepted. There was nothing for it, he would get copies made for Allen during lunch time and try again. It may tear his heart apart if he was rejected again, but he had no other way to show his feelings. "Do you think you could get us home? I need to change before work." Sixty wasn't safe to ride and he sure as hell wasn't in a position of splurge on a taxi. If Allen refused, he could probably ride but there was no guarantee he would be as careful as usual.

Allen kissed Sixty’s knuckles in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. The keys weighed heavy on his heart, another responsibility and mark of trust. But a good weight. Comforting. They were going to fix this. And maybe then they could talk about Sixty letting Allen help him. “Yeah, but I need to go back and get my jacket and helmet. Is that okay?” He asked.

As if Sixty could ever tell Allen what to do. And he wasn't some idiot to deny the man his safety. So he nodded mutely, wiping at his eyes and trying to get a semblance of order back. It was a mission he was doomed to fail. Not that there was anyone around who actually cared. Sixty watched Allen's retreating back and tried to remind himself that he wasn't being abandoned, his boyfriend was still his boyfriend and was coming back.

Allen hurried, because he didn’t want to leave Sixty for too long. He just couldn’t jeopardize their safety because he thought Sixty couldn’t be alone right now. When he came back to Sixty he did so with a comforting smile, holding out his helmet. “Let’s get you home.”


	57. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Learning to take care of yourself is a process, and Sixty is trying his best.

Home sounded wonderful. Sixty passed over his bike's key and jammed his helmet on his head. It was so much easier to hide his emotions under it. Especially when he was a passenger on his own bike, that jarred something in him and he stayed quiet for the ride, clinging on to Allen with his eyes closed.

Allen did his best to make the ride to Sixty's apartment smooth and uneventful so that he wouldn't get jostled or worried too much. When they arrived he didn't move to make him loosen his grip, instead saying softly "You okay back there? We're here."

Eyes slowly opening, Sixty unlatched himself and slipped off the bike, a little unsteady. He could keep everything at bay, he had work to get to, a life to get on with. "I'm okay." Though he said it, he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, himself or Allen. "Thank you. Do you want to come in?"

Allen frowned at the sound of Sixty’s voice, standing up himself and setting a hand on his boyfriends back to steady him. “When was the last time you took time off work?” Allen asked softly. Sixty looked dead on his feet both emotionally and physically. If they were still dating, that meant Allen was going to keep trying to keep him safe.

"I don't know." Sixty shrugged. "I think when we were sick?" He didn't really see where this whole thing was going. Work wasn't going to just magically go away if he spent the day at home. It wasn't going to solve anything really. Except maybe he'd lose a day to being comatose. Again. And he really didn't want that. Slowly, he made his way to his door and unlocked it, waiting for a moment. For the first time in a long while he was scared to open a front door again, dreading the idea of finding Kamski standing in his living room, even though the man had never set foot in this house. Squaring his shoulders, Sixty opened the door and stepped through.

Allen followed Sixty as he walked to his apartment door and unlocked it, noting the hesitation and feeling a swell of pity. "Maybe you should take another day off." He suggested gently as they stepped inside, "You seem really out of it, maybe you should sleep today instead of pushing it." With Sixty's job, at least he wasn't going to endanger others if he went in like this, but Allen still didn't like the idea of it. He might hurt himself with some of the sharp instruments too.

The problem was, the world didn't stop turning just because one man was having a bad day and wanted everything to stop. But at the same time, Sixty was conscious of the fact that Allen was trying to help, that rejecting his offers had led to arguments before. And Sixty was caught between want and need with no way of making the correct choice. "Maybe." He finally sighed. It would have been good to have someone else take control and organise everything. But that couldn't happen, Sixty needed to feel like there was at least something he could exert some power over. "Are you working today?" If Allen was, that could help him decide what to do. Not that Sixty knew which way it would influence his own decision but it gave him an excuse, a crutch to build his logic on when he had no foundations himself.

The maybe was a win in Allen's mind - at least Sixty wasn't petulantly insisting he was fine. "I'll go to work, yeah. But if you need me at any point just call and I'll come as soon as I can." He admitted honestly. For Allen, there was no reason not to go to work. He was tired, yeah, and a little worried, but he wasn't on the verge of a meltdown. And work would help focus his mind, let him be around his team for support.

If Allen was going to work, there really was not much point in Sixty staying at home. He needed to save that for when he really needed time off work. Not for something silly like family drama. "I'll be fine," he tried to reassure. "Not to say I don't appreciate your offer. But your job is important, I don't want to be a distraction." While talking, he drifted towards the wardrobe and was pulling out a fresh shirt and trousers. It seemed that his mind was made up and he was going to work.

Allen sighed, replying “you’re never a distraction but okay. You’re an adult, you can take care of yourself.” He didn’t believe Sixty one bit when he said he was fine, but he was too tired to argue over this again. “Want a ride to work?” Allen asked eventually, as it seemed like Sixty was just going to go ahead and get dressed. At least they had gotten a decent breakfast, and if they were both at work he could check in on him once in a while.

"Please," Sixty sagged in relief. And, selfishly, he thought that if Allen was coming over in the evening, they could just go home together too. "Thank you for understanding." At least, he assumed Allen understood. Otherwise he was just amazing at guessing what Sixty needed.

"I'm trying." Allen admitted softly. He wanted to be there for Sixty, to help him, but he couldn't keep doing it alone. He had to hope that someday they'd get to a place where Sixty could bend a little, and understand Allen's side of things without breaking down.

As refreshed as he was going to get, Sixty grabbed his helmet, phone and wallet. There wasn't much he could do with the bags under his eyes. Those would hopefully disappear once he remembered how to rest peacefully again. "Ready?" He already knew he wasn't going to work a full day. Probably do half the morning and then he would slip out and go to town. Allen needed to be shown he was appreciated and while Sixty wasn't always the best at using words, he could definitely buy him a gift to show his thanks.

Allen stood up from where he had sat down on Sixty’s sofa and stretched, yawning a little. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Gonna get some coffee once I get to work.” He said with half a smile. Allen was glad that his bike was still parked here from yesterday so he could use that to drive them both to work. Driving Sixty’s bike was a privilege to be sure, but he always preferred his own. It just felt safer. He put his own helmet on and offered his boyfriend his arm to walk out of the apartment.


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the words of one Fletcher Allen, "It's been a long day, cuddles are just what we need."

Work went about as expected for Sixty. He couldn't quite focus, managed to rejig his schedule to clear his afternoon and then he sat in front of his computer in the office, staring at reports until he could clock out. He saw no reason to tell anyone he was going out early. It was in the calendar that he was off for the rest of the day but contactable by phone if needed. Wandering out into town, he wandered aimlessly, trying to think of a suitable gift for Allen. Something that wasn't expensive but still conveyed the sentiment. No shop sprang to mind so he walked without much direction, stopping off randomly to look at trinkets or bike related things. But a bottle of brake fluid didn't seem like the right gesture. It was only by pure chance he looked in the window display of a self proclaimed indie shop and spotted a contender for his needs. Allen still wore the chain with his dog tags. Maybe there was room to add something small to the chain as another memento.

Allen's day at work was as uneventful as he had hoped, the hours sliding by without any real sense of urgency or emergency. Being at work and being surrounded by the usual hustle and bustle of his team was actually incredibly relaxing, despite how tired he was. And even though they could all tell something was wrong, the team didn't press him on it - instead they just made sure to actually behave during training, which was a relief. By the time his shift was over and he headed downstairs to find Sixty, Allen was feeling like maybe he could actually handle the world again.

As the sun was out and technically Sixty wasn't at work, he decided to wait for Allen by his bike. Even if he didn't get a ride home, he could give Allen his gift before walking to the bus stop. The idea of going indoors and amongst people he vaguely knew was just too much. To make sure he didn't miss Allen, Sixty got back half an hour early, not sure exactly what time his boyfriend tended to finish work. It wasn't like he was in anyone's way as he sat on the bars of the bike stands, swinging his legs.

When he didn't immediately find Sixty in the morgue, Allen's heart rate spiked. But he reminded himself that nothing bad could have happened at work, and decided to just check by his bike first instead. Relieved to find him there, Allen stood a moment and just....watched Sixty from a distance as he sat and swung his legs. He looked peaceful. That was good. "Hey handsome" Allen greeted with a lopsided grin, finally stepping towards the bike and making his presence known.

Doing his best to hide the way he jolted in surprise at the sudden greeting, Sixty smiled up at Allen. "Hey yourself, gorgeous." He pushed off the bar and shifted around nervously, not sure how to ask if he needed to go for the bus or was going to get a ride home. "How was your day?"

Allen closed the distance between them to press up against Sixty for a gentle kiss, wanting to re-establish that closeness if he could. "My day was as good as it could be. It was kind of relaxing to be doing the same old routine, you know?" He answered with a shrug, "And you?"

A little flustered, Sixty pulled the pendant wrapped in paper from his pocket. It was more crumpled than he would have liked but such was life. "You were right, I was useless today. Ended up walking around town for most of it." He held out the gift in his hand. "I don't know how else to say thank you."

Allen wasn't sure what to expect from his boyfriend at this point, so the gift was a surprise nonetheless. "Oh" He said softly, taking it from Sixty and looking up at him with a small smile. "You didn't have to get me something. But thank you." He said, unwrapping the paper and peering in at what Sixty had gifted him.

Seeing it in Allen's palm, Sixty suddenly felt a little foolish. It looked like a flimsy piece of metal in the crude shape of a jigsaw piece. Whatever Sixty had seen in it in the shop, it was difficult to convey now. Now it was just some dumb, artless piece of junk and Sixty wished he could snatch it back and throw it away. Allen deserved something so much better than that. Someone so much better than him, Sixty thought morosely.

Allen's face broke out into an incredibly fond smile as he looked down at the piece in his hand. Picking it up, he realized the piece could split into two and looked up at Sixty with an even wider smile. He knew how terribly anxious his boyfriend got about showing affection, so this meant a lot. "Baby, this is really sweet." Allen said, the affection genuine in his tone as he held one half out for Sixty to take, "Is this supposed to go on the chain with the tags?" It was the only place he could think to keep something like this.

Silently, Sixty gave a single nod and watched Allen from under his lashes. The man looked so delighted by something so simple, it was beyond Sixty's understanding how a stupid pendant could get such a reaction. Even more so, Sixty's mind was still reeling at being called 'baby'. He hadn't been fond of diminutive pet names but somehow, Allen calling him that in the moment left him with a warm fuzzy feeling which was almost as unexpected as the reaction from his boyfriend.

To Allen it wasn't about the item, but the meaning behind it. That Sixty had gone out and thought of him enough to buy something they could share...it made him really happy. "Perfect" Allen said when he received confirmation, passing Sixty one of the halves and pulling the chain out from under his shirt so he could string the pendant on right away.

Palming his half, Sixty chanced a wisp of a smile. While he had been hoping that Allen would offer up half the pendant to him, he wouldn't have bet on it. "I don't know where to put my half," he admitted eventually, metal warming in his palm. Nothing could compare to the sight of his dog tags around Allen's neck and he felt another knot in his chest loosen. Despite everything, Allen hadn't given up on him.

Allen caught the smile out of the corner of his eye and counted that as a win. He twisted the clasp of the chain around his neck to the front and carefully slid the puzzle piece on, letting it rest against the dogtags with some satisfaction. "Hm...we'll have to get you a matching chair if you like. Or maybe a little fob for your bike's keys?" Allen suggested, thinking hard on what might be practical.

A keyring was a much better idea, Sixty wasn't a fan of wearing things around his neck. Not by a long shot. "That would be nice." His eyes drifted to the bike, full of questions. "Should I take the bus?"

Allen looked up from his little necklace with a frown. “The bus? Why the fuck would you take the bus, I’m going to drive us home.” He said, clearly dumbfounded by Sixty’s question.

"I don't know," Sixty fidgeted with the untucked hem of his shirt. "I didn't want to assume. And kind of forgot what our plans were or if we even had any." Not quite the truth but he wanted to give Allen another out, not of the relationship but of spending time with someone who was a bit of an emotional wreck.

Sighing, Allen reached out and took Sixty’s hands in his, squeezing them gently to stop him from fidgeting. “I want to be with you, and to take care of you, Sixty. You don’t have to keep giving me excuses, if I wanted a break I’d tell you. I promise.” He said, trying to guess at what might be behind this latest bit of strange behavior.

Trust was something Sixty didn't have much of but he tried to believe Allen, take his words at face value. Slowly nodding, he stared at their shoes as a mutter of "sorry" left his lips. Looking up, his eyes were wide and pained, knowing that even now he was failing at being a normal human being. "I'm trying, I really am," he offered. "Nobody's ever stuck around before and I don't know how to deal with this." Work car park was probably not the best place for such a conversation. But then again, Sixty's timing had always been a little off.

Allen hated how guilty and upset Sixty looked, it made it difficult to keep speaking up about things if he was going to be so hurt every time. But he had to try, because Sixty deserved better than this. “I know you are. And that’s all that matters, that you’re trying.” He said softly, bringing Sixty’s hands up to kiss them, “You don’t have to apologize, we’re getting there.” It was slow going, but Allen knew they could make it.

_ We're getting there. _ The words echoed in Sixty's mind and he couldn't quite explain what feelings were rushing through him but there was relief, gratitude and awe all mixed in there. Because Allen was staying. Seeing this through. He made Sixty feel like he might just be worth something, if not to the world then at least to Allen. Without a word, Sixty flung his arms around his boyfriend's neck, clinging on and trying to ride out the emotions.

Allen took the fact that Sixty was flinging himself into his arms as a good sign. He wrapped his boyfriend up in a hug and breathed in deep and slow, reminding them both of the fact that they had all the time in the world to be together. It felt good to have that reminder, after this morning's rocky almost breakup. Allen needed to refill his well of happiness if he was going to get them through this.

Silently, Sixty swore to do better, to prove to Allen that he was appreciated and wanted. Not that he had any clue on how to do it but the intention was there which was a start. "Home?" he asked softly, wanting to keep snuggling his boyfriend but also craving the safety and privacy of somewhere other than their work car park.

"Your place? Or mine?" Allen asked, wanting to give Sixty the option to choose where he would feel most safe. Pulling away reluctantly, he handed Sixty his helmet and got on his bike, waiting for his boyfriend to join him.

The choice was a little breath taking. Sixty still couldn't believe that after all that had happened, Allen would welcome him into his home. "Yours?" He asked softly, snuggling up behind his boyfriend on the bike.

"Sounds like a plan" Allen said with a smile. To him, there was never any choice or possibility that included shutting Sixty out of his home. So the choice was an honest offering. He took the ride back to his apartment easy, letting them enjoy the sensation a little bit before parking and dismounting.

The walk to the apartment was short, and Sixty kept his hand linked with Allen's, almost scared to let him go. He really wanted to just curl up with him somewhere safe and quiet, and let go. Not lose himself to a state but have a few hours where it was just him and his boyfriend with nothing else to bother them.

"Want to eat dinner?" Allen asked as he unlocked the door and let them both in. Holding the key in his hand reminded him of Sixty's shaky offer earlier, and he decides to bring that up tomorrow. Tomorrow, after they both feel a little bit more like themselves. For now, this is good enough. He guides Sixty into his apartment and makes sure his shoes and coat get put away before guiding him into the kitchen, keeping a gentle guiding touch the whole way.

Now that he thought about it, Sixty was ravenous. So he nodded at Allen, grateful that he was taking charge. It was easy to slip into trusting his boyfriend, knowing that they were somewhere safe. "I feel like I can actually relax here," he admitted quietly, almost shy. "My place stopped feeling like home the moment the news hit about Kamski."

Allen was good at taking control. He was a team leader, a captain, he took care of people. And he liked it when Sixty let him take care of him, it felt nice. He bustled around the kitchen slowly, getting out ingredients for a simple and quick dinner. "Ah, yeah..." Allen sighed out, realizing that he hadn't even thought about that, "Well you're welcome to stay here as much as you like."

There had to be some irony in Sixty offering up his house key to Allen and yet being invited to stay at Allen's as much as he wanted to. He was too tired to comment though and ended up sitting in a graceless heap on the ground, back against a cupboard as he watched his boyfriend. "Thanks." Feeling a little guilty at not doing anything, he pushed away and made to get up. "Anything I can help with?"

Allen reached down and almost made to ruffle Sixty's hair, thinking better of it at the last minute and instead smiling and crouching down to press a kiss to his forehead. "You can help me by being your sweet self some more. I've got dinner, let me take care of it for you, okay?"

Really, Allen was far too good to him. Sixty had noticed the hand heading for his hair and was braced for it. "You can touch," he offered himself up. "I trust you." Whether he trusted himself was another matter. But he could cope with being touched by his boyfriend. While Sixty knew he was broken, he didn't want to think he was utterly shattered.

Allen hesitated for a moment, then gently reached out a patted at Sixty's head, the gesture gentle and slow. "Thank you." He said with a soft smile. He wanted to say that he'd rather not do anything that Sixty didn't want to do, but this was clearly a matter of trust, of Sixty offering himself up, and Allen didn't want to push that away. Especially not now.

A shiver passed through Sixty at the touch and he looked up at Allen with big eyes. "It didn't hurt." Which sounded pathetic and ridiculous but Sixty didn't have the energy to fight and keep up pretences. This was him without any barriers, without anything to hide behind. Almost brokenly, he whispered, "it felt nice."

Allen’s heart gave another weak squeeze in his chest at how poorly Sixty had been treated before. He wanted nothing more now than to be allowed to replace those memories with better ones - with the treatment his boyfriend deserved. Slowly, Allen repeated the motion, this time his stroke over Sixty’s hair longer and a little less hesitant. “I’m glad. It’s not supposed to hurt. I promise I’m never going to hurt you on purpose.” He murmured in return, cupping Sixty’s cheek when he was done.

"Logically, I know that," Sixty huffed, annoyed at himself more than anything. "But tell my body that it's stupid to flinch each time a hand goes near my hair." He was quite ashamed of that. Now that he didn't have the strength to be anything but honest, he knew Allen deserved so much more. That he had been a shitty boyfriend. It was time to change that.

“Shhhh there’s nothing stupid about it. That’s not what I meant.” Allen chided softly. He was captain of the SWAT team, he knew enough about childhood trauma and PTSD stuff to know it was counterproductive to blame yourself for your reactions. “I just like saying it. It’s important to me that you get to hear that. And see it.” He said, giving Sixty another gentle pat to illustrate his point.

Hesitantly, Sixty reached for Allen's wrist and pulled it back to the top of his head, closing his eyes to try and hide his emotions for a minute. "Thank you," he murmured before letting go and forcing himself to relax against the cupboard in a loose limbed half-sprawl. "Did you say something about food?" Sixty batted his eyelashes hopefully up at Allen.

Allen gladly left his head there, just gently scritching his fingers against Sixty's scalp to get him used to the feeling. He chuckled at the shameless begging, replying "I just have to get up and finish heating it up."

"I'll let you get on," Sixty said, aiming for a haughty look but falling short of it by quite a lot. He was sad to watch Allen move away but knew that in order to get food, it had to happen. Plus, he trusted that Allen would come back. And yes, he was simplifying his trust issues into something much easier to manage, bite sized really. Which was funny because he was thinking about food. Sixty never claimed his head made much sense to himself, let alone anyone else.

Allen just chortled to himself and straightened up, giving Sixty's head one last gentle pat as he left. "As you wish" He said with a somewhat theatrical bow. As long as Sixty was happy and relaxed, that's all he cared about. It didn't take Allen long to finish up heating their dinner, and once it was on the table he returned to offer his boyfriend a hand up off the ground.

Ignoring the little voice in his head that called him pathetic, Sixty took the offered hand and let himself be led to the table, Eating was a quiet affair, Sixty didn't have much to say and anything he could have brought up was all rather negative so he opted for silence instead. Only when his plate was empty did he softly say "thank you". He waited for Allen to be done before getting to his feet and gathering the plates, intent on doing at least something to help.

Allen was happy to let the silence spread between them, allowing for a bit of respite. He was content just being with Sixty, enjoying the trust inherent in that act. When they were done he sat back and allowed him to take over with the cleaning. There was something to be said for sharing the load and allowing everyone to have something to keep them occupied. “Thank you for helping” he said simply in reply.

Not expecting the thanks, Sixty turned to look at Allen for a moment, taken aback. Rather than say anything, he offered a one shoulder shrug and finished the job before returning to Allen's side. He lingered, fidgeting with his hands a little as he tried to figure out how to ask for what he wanted. "Could we-" he broke off, ashamed at both asking and for having such difficulties with saying some simple words. "Could we cuddle? On the bed?" The 'please' was lost in a mumble as he stared at the floor, cheeks heating up.

Allen stood and looped an arm around Sixty's waist as he waited for him to find the words he was clearly searching for. He would never say it for fear of embarrassing his boyfriend, but he was downright adorable when he was flustered like this. Allen couldn't help the little smile that spread across his lips as he watched. "Yes please." Allen agreed immediately when asked, "That sounds amazing. It's been a long day, cuddles are just what we need." He started to guide them to the bedroom without hesitation, fully intending on stripping them down and getting them all snuggled in as soon as possible.

In the bedroom, Sixty stopped and hesitated, not quite certain whether they were to cuddle on top of the covers or under them. He looked to Allen for guidance, hands on the hem of his shirt but only holding, twisting the material between his fingers. That was before he realised he didn't really have anything to sleep in so would need to borrow a t-shirt off Allen if they were going to get into the bed. Words weren't forthcoming, but hopefully Allen could tell him what to do next without Sixty having to ask for it.

“Here, pick out a T-shirt to sleep in” Allen said, guiding Sixty to his wardrobe and opening the appropriate drawer. They were both tired, and he had no desire to do anything else today, so he was fully preparing for bed now. Stepping away just a big, Allen started stripping off his own clothes, leading by example and hoping that would help sixty feel more comfortable.

This he could do, Sixty eyed up the selection and decided something from the bottom of the pile, probably less loved than the rest would be better. His eyes landed on a faded, grey t-shirt that he pulled out and quickly got changed into. He didn't even bother looking at what the t-shirt was of, other than vaguely registering it had something printed on it. His attire also answered his question about above or below cover cuddling and he left his clothes on the foot of the bed before climbing under the blanket with a soft sigh. Sixty closed his eyes and took a deep breath, finding comfort in being surrounded by Allen's scent.

Allen couldn't help the soft snort that left him as he saw which t-shirt Sixty had grabbed. It was a gag gift from his team, one so stupid he had never worn it outside his apartment. But oh so soft, which meant he had often used it for sleeping and lounging in. Over top of the grey fabric was printed 'Senpai in the Streets, Kawaii in the Sheets'. Which all the team members had found uproariously funny, of course. Now though, Allen just wiggled under the blankets and set about pulling Sixty close to him, making sure he was snuggled up properly.

Safe and secure in Allen's arms, Sixty could finally actually truly relax. He was exhausted, emotionally and physically. Grateful for all the unwavering support his boyfriend was giving him, Sixty clung to him tightly. "Thank you, Fletch," he mumbled against his boyfriend's skin, not sure if words could ever be enough. He could only try, even as he was rapidly falling asleep.

"Love you" Allen murmured softly, pressing a kiss to the closest part of Sixty he could reach. It had been a long day for both of them, he could feel sleep creeping up on him as well. He let his eyes slip closed and drifted off, safe in the knowledge he'd wake up with his boyfriend in his arms.


	59. Chapter 59

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late night phone calls rarely lead to anything good, and this one is no exception.
> 
> **Warning: This chapter and many of the chapters following it deal with serious drug addiction. TW/CW for: drug addiction, drug paraphernalia, drug withdrawal, discussions of past and future drug use. Tags have been updated to reflect this.**
> 
> Please be careful and kind to yourself regarding the content you consume. If this topic is not for you, you're more than welcome to rejoin us [Chapter 62](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22053658/chapters/67536811) <3

The ringing of a phone roused Sixty but he whined and burrowed against Allen's chest. It would stop and go away. He wasn't quite awake but sleep still clung too heavily to him to make him realise it was his phone at the bottom of the bed that was ringing.

Allen jolted awake when the phone rang, used to being on call in the middle of the night and needing to answer the phone. It took him a minute to remember where he was, and then he frowned in confusion - why was there a phone ringing if he wasn't on call? Confused, Allen wiggled out of Sixty's grip to fumble around and grab the phone, answering with a groggy "Hello?" without even looking at the caller identification.

"Six, I need help," Connor was babbling down the phone, tears making his voice thick. "I did something stupid. I couldn't take it. I bought some stuff. But I don't have any needles. And I'm sorry. I just couldn't. It's all too much. Please help me!"

Allen was sure he'd never gone from drowsy to 'stone cold awake' faster in his life. There was a lot going on on the other end of the phone, and Allen's mind immediately shifted into trauma management mode. "It's alright Connor, Sixty is right here. I'm gonna wake him up and we're going to come to you." Allen reassured him, "Can you tell me where you are?"

"I'm home. And I shouldn't have called. I'm sorry. Just. It was so much. I'm sorry." Connor's words descended into heaving sobs, shame and self-hatred only drove him deeper into desperation. Not even Sumo next to him could help, no matter how much he tried to lick Connor's face.

"You're okay. I'm glad you called, that was the right thing to do." Allen said, keeping up a steady stream of words even as he shuffled over to Sixty and started gently shaking him awake. "Are you safe right now?" Allen asked, wanting to make sure that Connor didn't have anything in his hand that he could potentially hurt himself with.

"I don't know. I don't know," Connor whispered on hiccoughing breath. Being shaken awake was not something Sixty enjoyed and he whined, shying away from the touch before snapping awake. He looked at Allen wide eyed, seeing him on the phone. It was dark and Sixty couldn't see much but it was never a good thing. "What's going on?" He asked, trying to kick his sleepy self into something more alert. Allen wouldn't wake him just because he felt like it.

"Connor, I'm going to hand the phone to Sixty now, okay? He's going to talk to you while we drive to your place, but I want you to not do anything until we get there." Allen said, putting a little more firmness into his voice to hopefully ensure Connor didn't shoot up while on the phone. Once he handed the phone over Allen bustled about, pulling on his own clothes in record time and holding out Sixty's pants for him to take. Speed was of the essence now.

"Con?" Sixty was hesitant to take the phone, worried his twin was going to yell at him. But when he heard the whimpering cries, everything changed. "Okay, okay-" he rubbed at his eyes, "I don't have needles so we'll stop by the morgue. We'll stay on the phone though." He shimmied into the clothes Allen was passing him, torn between cold panic and burning hot shame. He mouthed "sorry" at Allen. "Just going down to the bike now," he said into the phone. Covering up the mouthpiece, he leaned towards Allen. "Morgue first. Don't judge me. Please."

To say Allen was now confused was an understatement. He looked at Sixty in utter bewilderment as he mentioned going to the morgue. "We're  _ helping _ him take drugs?" Allen hissed, tone one of complete bafflement rather than judgment. Despite his confusion he was still grabbing his jacket and helmet, passing Sixty his own as well. Whatever needed to be done, he'd do, but there were certain lines he'd rather not cross.

Sixty didn't have the time to explain that he wasn't just giving his brother the means to shoot up mindlessly. Instead, he kept his focus on Connor, talking him through what was going on. Nobody on night shift questioned why the head of the morgue and the Captain of the SWAT team were storming through. "Just grabbing what you need," Sixty reassured Connor. "I'll get you only three though no more." Three sterile needles pocketed, they were back on the road, no more than ten minutes out from Connor's.

Allen shot Sixty a look that told him they were  _ definitely _ talking about this later, but the middle of a crisis wasn't the time. That's what a debrief was for. Instead, Allen slipped into his SWAT captain persona, efficiently getting his team of two from point A to point B safely. They rolled up to Connor's apartment without incident, although Allen couldn't help but feel a sick sense of dread.

Letting them into the flat, Sixty made a beeline for the bathroom where he knew Connor would be. He would apologise to Allen later but right now his twin needed him. "I've got you." He sank down to the ground and pulled Connor into his lap, tucking his twin's face against his neck. As delicately as he could, he pulled a towel and covered the drugs. Out of sight might help get it out of mind. "You know the drill. An hour and a half and if you still need them, you let me help."

Allen made sure to lock the door behind him and take care of Sumo, who was clearly not happy about this situation. Once he had calmed the dog as best he could and put him out into Connor's bedroom, Allen headed to the bathroom. Taking in the sight in front of him, Allen's face softened and he sank down into a crouch. "What can I do to help?" He asked, unsure of how to proceed now.

There wasn't much that they could do other than wait. Once Connor calmed a little, they could try to distract him but it wasn't guaranteed to succeed. A hand kept rubbing Connor's back, soothing him as Sixty rocked them lightly. "We wait and hope for the best. I've set a timer for ninety minutes on my phone."

He looked down at Connor whose breath was still hitching a little. "I'm sorry." Broken and utterly lost, Connor sounded nothing like his usual self.

Sensing that this was something that wasn't just going to go away, Allen nodded and said "There's nothing to apologize for. I'll go get us some water and then I'll join you." Having just woken up and then driven all over the place, his throat felt like sandpaper right now. And water was always a good bet. Returning with glasses and even a bag of chips in case any of them got hungry, Allen sat down on the floor across from Sixty. He didn't get close enough to touch Sixty or Connor, but he was within reach of both. Shooting them both a reassuring smile, he settled in to wait. It was....odd, yes. Connor wasn't exactly Allen's favorite person in the world, not by a long shot. And he hadn't forgotten that just today, Connor had bullied Sixty to the point of tears. But again, now didn't seem like the time to bring that up. He was clearly going through something extremely traumatic, and Allen would do what he could to help.

While Sixty held Connor, he kept talking softly to Allen about inconsequential things like bike engine torque. It was something Connor could join in with too if he felt up to it. Instead, a little to Sixty's surprise, his twin fell asleep. "Could you turn the alarm off please? And bundle up that towel, just shove it all in my helmet, I'll deal with it later." He rearranged his grip on Connor and struggled up with a groan, grateful he could at least get him to bed even if Sixty wasn't going to sleep much. "I'll get us some tea," he said as he and Allen parted ways.

Allen took it as a very good sign when Connor fell asleep before any drug paraphernalia got pulled out. That was definitely the best possible outcome as he could see it. "Of course, we'll meet back up in the living room." Allen agreed, carefully picking up the drugs and putting them away. He did take a good look at them, curious to see just what they were dealing with. Once everything was clean and tidy he went and sat on the sofa to wait for Sixty to join him.

Ensuring Connor was comfortable, Sixty even let Sumo hop up onto the bed for a cuddle. Satisfied that things were as good as possible before heading to the living room. He managed to sit down a bit heavier than intended, rubbing tiredly at his face before looking up at Allen. "I'm guessing you've got questions or comments." It wasn't even a question, more a statement, inviting Allen to spill whatever was so obviously on his mind.

Allen had a lot to say, but he held back. Sixty looked exhausted, and he was going through a lot. Now was not the time for judgement or pressure. "Only as many as you're comfortable answering." He said slowly, "I guess mostly I want to know how often this happens. And if there's a possibility he might actually shoot up."

If only Sixty could have said there was no chance of that. But he couldn't guarantee it, not as a definite. His face fell and he shook his head. "I didn't ever think that I would put my medical training to use in helping my own brother shoot up safely and keeping an eye on him while he's off his face." He scrubbed at his face again. "I should probably check what he got." Pushing up, he grabbed his helmet and pulled out the towel everything was bundled up in. Three doses. It was probably all the money Connor could scrounge up. Fuck.

Allen's mind was whirling along, but he understood now why Sixty had offered to get needles - better to help Connor than have him hurt himself even more. Okay. He could wrap his head around that at least, even if he wasn't sure what his own choice would be in that situation. "Does this happen often?" Allen asked again, gently.

Thankfully the answer to that was no. At least, not for the last couple of years. "Nines and I, we helped him get clean. Got his debts together into something manageable. I should have seen this coming. Fuck." He shoved everything back into his helmet and pushed it away in favour of pulling his knees up to his chest. "He was so prickly and all I did was antagonise him. When I knew he was probably at his weakest. This is my fault." He would need to go check on Connor soon. In these kinds of situations nobody really slept a lot. Connor because his mind was rebelling against him, urging him to shoot up while Sixty stayed up to try and help however he could. "Well," he sniffled, "you've seen how fucked up we all are and how we deal with it. No more surprises and dirty secrets I guess."

Allen nodded along, feeling a wash of familiarity. It wasn't his story to share, but he remembered how he and Gavin had helped Hank get back on his feet after the alcohol took over. It took a lot out of a person to help fix a huge problem like that. Sliding off the couch, Allen knelt behind Sixty and pulled him against his chest as best as he could. "Hey. This is no one's fault. Connor bullied you right back, right up until you had a breakdown in the parking lot. Everyone's having a hard time, okay?" He said firmly, not about to let his boyfriend sink into self hatred right now. "And we're here to help him. You're doing the best you can."

His best didn't feel like enough and Sixty wanted to argue, tell Allen why he was wrong. But the words weren't there, his hopelessness choking it all into him. An anguished howl too human to be Sumo had him jumping up and rushing to the bedroom. On the bed, Connor was curled up, hands fisted in his hair, eyes squeezed shut and tears leaking from them. Instantly, Sixty was behind him, pressing bodily against his back, hands working to loosen Connor's hands from his hair. "It's okay. Con, it's okay," he tried to keep the wobble from his voice. Sixty needed to be strong even if he had nothing left to give. Thankfully, Connor relaxed a little and turned burrowing against his twin's chest with heaving sobs. At least Sumo had the sense to amble out of the room and away from all the upheaval and drama.

Allen jolted at the sound of the howl, standing and following Sixty into the next room at a more sedate pace. He felt like a strange outsider in this situation, wanting to help but knowing he wasn't really necessary. He stood in the doorway and watched poor Connor sobbing into Sixty's chest, wishing he could do something more.

"Make it stop, please," Connor begged as he clung to Sixty. He was hurting and didn't even know where the pain was coming from anymore. The only thing he could do was trust his twin, let him take charge, Sixty would know how to make it all just stop. Tears were threatening again and Sixty pressed his face into Connor's hair. "We'll get you to mine, get you out of here for a bit. I've got you, I promise." Empty promises but they seemed to at least calm Connor. The helpless sobbing dying down into hitching breaths gradually. Sixty looked up at Allen, "any chance you could call us a taxi that would take Sumo too please?"

"Yeah, I've got you." Allen said, pulling his phone out and leaving the room to start hunting down Sumo's leash. Luckily the big beast was placid enough and a good friend to Allen, who had spent enough time taking care of him. The call to find a pet friendly taxi took a few minutes, but Allen was back as soon as he could be, announcing "Ten minutes till it gets here. I'll get you two into the taxi and drive my bike home right behind you." Without his bike, he was effectively trapped at home, and that would be bad in a situation like this.

That made sense and relief flooded through Sixty at the help. "Thank you," he breathed, hoping his gratitude was audible. Now though, he had the task of getting Connor ready in ten minutes which was no mean feat. Still, he managed, just about. At least under the threat of being seen by a taxi driver, he pulled together a little. "Please don't tell Nines." He was pleading as they headed for the door, not caring that Allen could hear everything. "He'll be so disappointed."

"He'll be sad you feel so low but he'll be proud that you called one of us," Sixty countered. He reached for Allen with his spare hand and squeezed his arm, turning his attention to his boyfriend. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. We'll head to mine." He didn't mention how his helmet was in the bag slung over his shoulder, still stuffed full with the towel and drugs.

Allen snorted, squeezing Sixty's hand in response. "Of course I'm coming with you. I'm not leaving you two on your own, even if I'm not that much help." He insisted. At least that way there'd be one level-headed person to call an ambulance if one was needed. And take care of Sumo. Still holding Sixty's hand, he led them out of the apartment, Sumo's leash in hand. The taxi pulled up soon after, and Allen made sure they were all bundled up properly before pulling back. He pressed a kiss to Sixty's cheek before shutting the door and heading to his own bike, following the now-familiar path to Sixty's apartment.


	60. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This long night at least brings with it some answers.
> 
> **Warning: This chapter and many of the chapters following it deal with serious drug addiction. TW/CW for: drug addiction, drug paraphernalia, drug withdrawal, discussions of past and future drug use. Tags have been updated to reflect this.**
> 
> Please be careful and kind to yourself regarding the content you consume. If this topic is not for you, you're more than welcome to rejoin us in [Chapter 62](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22053658/chapters/67536811) <3

The taxi ride was as awkward as expected. Thankfully, the driver had the grace to not comment, he didn't even try to make conversation and Sixty was incredibly glad for that. He got them through his front door, left his bag on the table and guided Connor to the bedroom. There, they managed to get Connor changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Putting his twin to bed, Sixty left the door open a crack and moved to settle Sumo, pulling throw from his sofa and laying it by the radiator. He watched as Sumo happily flopped down onto it and fell asleep, the lucky bastard.

Allen spent the ride over thinking about what he could do to help his boyfriend. At least while they were in Sixty's apartment he knew his way around, and felt comfortable making food and coffee. Which maybe, if they were going to stay up, wouldn't be a bad idea. Allen showed up at the apartment and knocked politely, holding his helmet under his arm as he waited for his boyfriend to let him in.

Slightly jumping at the knock on the door, Sixty tried to reassure himself it was only Allen. Must be, because Sumo barely even looked up. Still, he only opened the door a crack, hand fisted in case he needed to defend himself. "You made it." He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried that Allen came. Once again, he only had drama and family problems to share. Sixty was rapidly coming to the realisation that his life was a little bit crap outside of work.

Allen shot Sixty a tired smile, and said "Of course. Always." Once he stepped inside, he leaned up and pressed a kiss to Sixty's lips. "Is he asleep again?" Allen asked, stripping off his jacket and shoes as he closed and locked the door behind him, "I was thinking I could make us some coffee if we're going to stay up all night."

A slight issue with that, Sixty didn't have coffee in the house as he didn't drink it. He did have some herbal tea somewhere in his cupboards though. Or grass water as Connor had called it once. "I think he's cried himself out." He waited for Allen to get comfortable before leading him back to the sofa. So much for their comfortable, quiet evening together. Sixty didn't hold out much hope for staying awake all night but the next couple of hours were key. "If he doesn't wake up for the next few hours, it will be safe."

There went Allen's plans to be useful, which would probably be a bit of a frustration. But as it was, he followed Sixty without that knowledge, settling on the soda and wrapping an arm around him for comfort. "That's good. I hope he stays asleep then." Allen said softly, unsure of what else to say. The other questions he wanted to ask were all too prying, too insensitive - Why hasn't he been in rehab? Is this why he's so volatile? Is this why he lives in an apartment that's that much worse than yours? Does Hank know? So instead, Allen stayed quiet as they sat together.

"I can hear you thinking," Sixty muttered. "Given our track record, it's better for us to just spit out what's on our minds." The way they were positioned, he didn't have to see Allen's face which made talking somewhat easier. Not ideal but slowly, Sixty was learning that open honesty made for a better relationship.

Allen chuckled, saying "You're right, I suppose. Although you telling me to speak my mind is a bit of a turnaround." He wasn't above acknowledging the irony. Heaving out a sigh, Allen finally admitted "I guess the questions I'm thinking in my head aren't the most kind. They're the kind of things I'd ask as a SWAT captain, or as a person who doesn't like Connor very much. But personal feelings aside, he's your brother, and he's my friend's boyfriend. And he's a person who's clearly suffering, so I guess I don't think I should ask. I just don't know what to do, to be perfectly honest."

This was why Allen was such a good person. He thought his words through so carefully before uttering anything. It made Sixty love him just that much more. "There's nothing to really do. It's a strange kind of learned helplessness. Because you realise that beyond a certain point you cannot do anything. It's all down to Connor really and all we can do is try and support. But if you have questions, I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities. Connor's asleep, it's okay."

Allen mulled it over in his head, and finally decided to just come out with it. "Is this why he's such a combative asshole all the time? Or was he always like that?" he asked. He knew that prolonged drug use could affect behavior, and he was genuinely curious. "And do you think Hank knows? Or is this a closely guarded family secret?" Allen wasn't one who did well with 'nothing to do' so he didn't address that particular problem just yet.

There were a lot of questions and Sixty didn't have all the answers. "You have met me, right? Combative asshole is the family default. And I don't know if Hank knows. We aren't exactly the kind to share. Though I would appreciate it if this little secret didn't become common knowledge in the DPD. Some days I wonder if any of us live for anything other than our jobs." Bit of a loaded statement and Sixty was inclined to clarify that he now had more than his job to live for, thanks to Allen. However, that sounded even worse so he kept quiet.

Allen shrugged, replying “I’m an only child, so you and Connor bullying each other makes no sense to me. Just wondered if there was a reason you two in particular are so at each other’s throats.” He didn’t say it, but he doubted Connor knew about Hank either. Hank was a deeply private person in his own right, and Allen doubted he liked to bring up the past. “Of course I won’t spread this around.” Allen said firmly, “You may have noticed, but I’m no gossip.” He knew Sixty meant well, and tried not to let the lack of trust sting too much.

Never before had Sixty considered what he and Connor did to be bullying and the idea of it shook him to the core. He wasn't a bully. Neither was Connor. The fact Allen saw them as such hurt a surprising amount. "We don't bully," he petulantly grumbled. It didn't help the swirl of anxiety underneath it all that he was just like Kamski. Maybe even worse. His breath hitched at the notion but he didn't give in to the urge to cry. Instead, he chose to focus on Allen's words. "I know you're not a gossip. Could we...just cuddle? Pretend none of this is going on for a minute?" All Sixty wanted was a few minutes of normalcy. Even if it was all an illusion, a lie, he still wanted to have a moment of peace where he could at least pretend everything was okay and he was cuddling his boyfriend on the couch because he wanted to, not because his world was falling apart.

Allen raised an eyebrow at Sixty's argument. He wasn't going to push it now, but Connor reducing Sixty to tears for nothing seemed like bullying to him. "I just don't like seeing him upset you" He said simply, "You fight a lot." When Sixty made that request, Allen was more than happy to indulge him. That's what he had been hoping to provide tonight - a respite from everything that was happening. Sadly Connor's little episode had broken the illusion, but he could still hold his boyfriend close. Allen maneuvered them so that Sixty was resting against him, both arms wrapping him up gently but firmly.

A small sigh escaped Sixty as he was held. Selfishly, he relaxed into it despite knowing he ought to be on alert for in case Connor woke. He really hoped he wouldn't though. The morning was going to be tough enough without any additional drama or, heaven forbid, drug taking. While Allen now knew the secrets of their family, there was a difference between knowing it and seeing it. His eyes were fluttering shut despite his best efforts. The warm strength of his boyfriend easing him into sleep better than anything else. Because he trusted Allen, knew that even if they both fell asleep, between them they could still keep an ear out for Connor.

It was moments like this where Allen was thankful for his SWAT training. He was tired, but he was completely able to set his mind to it and stay awake. Sixty needed the sleep, clearly, but someone needed to be awake if Connor needed something. The situation and the guilt would only get worse otherwise. So Allen held Sixty close and let him sleep, counting off his slow breaths and letting himself relax into his watchful stakeout state. It helped soothe his heart to look down and know that Sixty trusted him an awful lot to fall asleep like this in such a difficult situation.

Everything was sore when Sixty woke up. He was still on the sofa, cuddled up against Allen but there was sunlight streaming through the window. Carefully, he struggled to sit up and groaned as joints popped. "Connor?" he asked, voice still thick with sleep.

Allen blinked and shook himself from his half-awake state as Sixty moved in his arms. Everything was stiff, like he wasn't sure he could move if he tried. "I didn't hear anything all night." Allen murmured, his voice low and raspy from being awake for so long.

That was a relief at least. Sixty reached and gave Allen's shoulders a squeeze. "Thank you." He wanted to say so much more but words just weren't enough. "Were you up all night?" Really, Sixty needed to go check on Connor, make sure he was okay but he also felt responsible for Allen. And Connor could sleep a little longer, Sixty's boyfriend needed a bit of love and appreciation after everything that had happened.

Allen nodded, becoming more aware of his surroundings and not just of being on guard. "Yeah, I thought someone should make sure nothing happened." He confirmed. He hoped Sixty didn't take that as doubting his abilities, but more as him offering his boyfriend a little help. Sixty had clearly needed the sleep after all.

"You're amazing, thank you," Sixty breathed in awe. "We're both pulling a sickie and staying at home. Nines can deal with Connor today." There was the sound of a phone ringing in the bedroom and Sixty cursed. But by the time he got there, Connor was sat up in bed and blearily rummaging in his jeans to pull out his phone and answered with a mumble of "hello?" even as he gave Sixty a small wave. Retreating to the living room, Sixty stood behind the sofa and buried his fingers in Allen's hair, rubbing his scalp and moved down to his neck. "He'll be okay. I think the worst is over. I need to call Nines."

“I’m glad I could help. I always want to help you” Allen said, smiling tiredly up at him. That was really his main goal, just trying to help. When Sixty jumped off his lap Allen let him go without question, instead taking the time to stretch and work some feeling back into his toes. “I’m glad. You go ahead and do that.” He confirmed, wrapping his arms around Sixty and leaning into the scalp massage as his eyes slipped shut. The exhaustion was catching up, and he’d need to sleep soon.


	61. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes all it takes is a horrifically traumatic event to get people to reconcile about the last traumatic event.
> 
> **Warning: This chapter is the last chapter of this arc to deal with serious drug addiction. TW/CW for: drug addiction, drug paraphernalia, drug withdrawal, discussions of past and future drug use. Tags have been updated to reflect this.**
> 
> Please be careful and kind to yourself regarding the content you consume. If this topic is not for you, this chapter is the last chapter to seriously deal with this issue, so you're more than welcome to rejoin us in [Chapter 62](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22053658/chapters/67536811) <3

The call to Nines wasn't especially pleasant or easy. But Sixty had pulled Connor through the night and needed to pass the baton on. Plus, Nines could take Connor food shopping because Sixty doubted the idiot had money left over for it this month. Not like Sixty had cash to spare either thanks to the bike repair so, this time, Nines could handle that part. Plus, shopping with a moping, regretful Connor was never fun. At least he managed to have the conversation while standing behind Allen, a hand in his hair. Next, he needed to go and wake Connor. Nines would be there in half an hour to pick him up. The least he could do was send him off with food in his stomach. Waking his twin wasn't difficult and, as predicted, Connor was silent, eyes not meeting his. Walking out into the living room, Sixty knew the exact moment Connor spotted Allen. Because there was a hand clutching at his wrist as Connor moved to all but hide shyly behind him, obviously fearful of Allen's reaction.

Throughout all of this, Allen stayed on the sofa with Sixty and dozed in and out of consciousness. He was still awake, but just barely. Now that the 'threat' had passed, his body was having a hard time seeing the benefit in being upright and conscious any more. But he needed to hold on just a little longer, until Connor was properly taken care of and it was just him and Sixty alone. When Sixty left to wake Connor up, Allen took the opportunity to scrub at his face in a way that was very unattractive, and get in a few good yawns. But when he spotted the twins coming back into the room he managed a sleepy smile. "How are you feeling?" Allen asked, looking over at Connor where he was hiding behind Sixty. That was almost cute.

Weirdly, Allen wasn't angry. It made Connor recoil a little and he glanced at Sixty, expecting guidance. Because most of his interactions with Allen had been rather antagonistic, it would have made more sense for him to be less than kind. A squeeze from Sixty gave him the courage and nudge to answer. "Like shit." Really, he wished that the earth would swallow him up and finish grinding him down. Even though it would hurt, it was still better than the alternative of having let everyone down. And brought more stress and shame on his brothers. That was unforgivable.

Allen was too tired to be angry, in all honesty. He felt like these past few days had put him through the wringer, and he couldn't muster the energy to be mad, even though it was Connor. Also, when it came down to it, he couldn't really be mad at the guy for his addiction. That was some tough shit, he had seen it firsthand before. A tired chuckle worked its way out of Allen at that, and he gave a half sort of smile that clearly said 'me too'. "Well. Like shit but back on your feet is better than the alternative." He said, always the pragmatist.

Distrust was heavy in the air as Connor looked to Allen then at Sixty. He couldn't wrap his head around it. "Why are you being so nice?" He asked and Sixty suddenly had a sense of deja vu. It was something he'd asked Allen before. And while he still questioned it at times, he'd gotten used to it. Maybe now Connor will start to believe that Sixty's boyfriend wasn't as bad as he had initially wanted to believe.

Allen gave Sixty an amused look as he heard the all-too-familiar question. He was beginning to wonder if it was a family trait, and then decided that was too sad to consider. "Partly because I'm too tired to start a fight." Allen said with an honest shrug, "But look. Addiction is some tough shit, I'm not here to judge you for that. Sixty needed help taking care of you, so I helped. You deserve that."

Stupidly enough, that word had Connor recoiling and Sixty instinctively stepped in front to protect him. Even though he knew Allen meant nothing by it. But being asked about deserving things enough times growing up, it had become a bit of a trigger word. At least it hadn't come as a question this time. "I'll be out of here soon and then you won't have to worry about taking care of me," Connor muttered quietly. Sensing that it was probably best to move the conversation on, Sixty steered them towards the kitchen. "You want anything to eat?" he asked Allen as they shuffled past. Connor gave the sofa a wide berth, even with Sixty between him and Allen.

Allen just didn't have the energy to figure out what he had done to upset Connor this time. He just stared blankly at the both of them, clearly not understanding, his eyes flicking between the twins before he blinked a few times and shook himself back into being awake. Allen wasn't dumb enough to expect a thanks from Connor, but he had to admit it would have been nice. Gathering himself to speak again, he said "I can help with breakfast." If Connor was going to try and brush this off, he wasn't going to bother either. It wasn't worth it for someone who had pretty much only ever been a dick to him.

"Breathe," Sixty said to Connor, turning to face him. He could tell when a panic attack was rising in his twin. "Fletch, breakfast would be lovely please. If you could get some toast going, we'll come help in a moment." His attention was back on Connor whose breath was hitching on each inhale even as he tried to match Sixty's artificially even and deep breaths.

Allen nodded and got up, ambling out into the kitchen. Connor’s panic attack was Sixty’s thing, toast could be his thing. Forcing his brains to actually work, he rifled slowly through the cabinets until he found the bread and then got it started in the toaster. Despite all this, Allen still kept an ear tuned to the conversation in the living room. As much as he wasn’t in top shape to help, he wasn’t going to ignore it if Sixty needed him.

With Allen out of sight, Connor trembled a little and pushed into Sixty's space, seeking physical comfort. "I'm sorry." The words took Sixty aback and he stiffened a little. Before he could say anything, Connor continued. "I'm sorry for being a mess. I'm sorry for doubting you. For meddling in your love life. I don't know how to fix it but I think you were right all along. Allen's good." It was so much easier to crush Connor into a hug than try and use words but Sixty tried. "He is good. So much more than good. I love him, Con. He wants to help and I don't always know how to accept that or react to it. But I'm trying and he's patient."

With his attention half dedicated to the conversation in the living room, Allen wasn't sure what he expected to hear. It certainly wasn't a heartfelt apology from Connor on doubting him, that's for sure. He found himself standing stock still almost in shock as he listened to the two brothers having such a heartfelt conversation about him, unsure of what to do. It felt...too personal to listen in on, almost, even though it was definitely about him. Allen eventually managed to make himself get back to making toast, and to his surprise he felt himself smiling. It felt  _ good _ to hear that Connor and Sixty both saw what he was trying to do, and that they appreciated it. And not just in a kind of selfish way that wanted acknowledgment, but because all he really wanted to do was to help. It would be easier to do if they understood that as well.

"He won't hurt you," Sixty murmured into Connor's hair. "You can trust him. I know it's early to say this, but he's family."

Pulling away, Connor nodded. "Like Gavin."

"And Hank," Sixty was quick to reassure but his confidence wobbled a little when Connor looked like he might crumble again. "We'll get through this, we always do. You've got more than just me and Nines at your back now." Satisfied when Connor agreed weakly, Sixty steered them into the kitchen, ready to get food into them all.

Allen had toast ready by the time the twins entered the room, and he had managed to dig out a skillet and some decent looking eggs as well. Even half asleep, he could manage cooking breakfast. Just like with the team. "How do you both like your eggs?" Allen asked when they came into the room, shooting them both a reassuring smile. It was easier, after listening to that conversation, to keep reaching out and making the effort for Connor.

"Unfertilised," Sixty replied immediately and looked to Connor who only shook his head at the appalling joke.

"However is easiest," Connor finally replied. "I don't want to be any more difficult."

His twin didn't have qualms about piping up with a merry "he likes them sunny side up" because he thought he knew best.

Allen snorted and rolled his eyes at Sixty's terrible humor, but he couldn't help but feel a swell of affection for how open and easy the conversation felt. That was an accomplishment in itself, and he wasn't going to take it for granted. "Sunny side up it is" Allen said with a nod, "And Sixty? Your order?" He was already busying himself with the skillet, remarking conversationally "Sometimes the team gets together after all nighters and we do a big breakfast. I usually get left in charge of the eggs, cause Brad wants to do all the fun stuff."

"I think I should clarify that we're talking about edible eggs here and not..." Sixty trailed off with a wink and snickered when Connor shoved his shoulder.

"I don't want to think about you with eggs shoved up your ass." His twin groused. "And this heathen likes it more scrambled than brains after a good fuck."

Sixty didn't even have the grace to look bashful. Instead, he slipped closer to Allen with a soft hum. "And tell me, handsome, how do you like your eggs?"

Allen really wasn't awake enough to deal with the amount of innuendo being passed around here. It was a lot, especially from twins. But he supposed he shouldn't be surprised, given what he knew about this family and about Sixty. "Inedible eggs are a conversation for another day" Allen chuckled, leaning up to press a kiss to Sixty's cheek when he got close, "So I'm making one sunny side up egg and one thoroughly fucked egg, and then for myself an over-easy egg." He paused, thought about the innuendo, and decided to lean into it, adding "Which is a good description of myself in bed, honestly."

That made Sixty snort. "You're many things but easy my darling. Vanilla, maybe. But not easy."

Next to him, Connor was flushing bright red, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden change in topic. "I really don't want to think about you in bed. That's just freaky." He looked between his twin and Allen. "Sixty that is. Not you." He promptly groaned at how weird that came out.

Allen chuckled, retorting "You're the one who told me his egg preference by explaining his preference in bed" He pointed the flipper at Connor with a tired grin. Hearing him get all tied up and twisted was actually pretty cute now that he wasn't spitting mad at him. "And I'm flattered but I'm a one twin only kinda guy" Allen joked before returning his attention to the stove. He knew that hadn't been Connor's intention at all but he couldn't resist the teasing.

Pitifully whining, Connor collapsed against Sixty and tried to hide. Part of him hated how nice Allen was being after everything, there was nothing to rage at or push back against. "You better be," Sixty growled at Allen playfully. "And that twin better be me." He hadn't realised how much it soothed his worries that Connor and Allen weren't at each other's throats. Plus the fact Allen was still there was a heady thought, he'd assumed most people would go running at even a fraction of the shit he'd thrown at his boyfriend. "I'm glad you're not most people," he ended up blurting out and even Connor gave him a look for it. Okay, so that might have come out rather weird.

Allen was smiling for real now, even though he was only looking down at the eggs as he cooked. He wasn't sure right now if he could manage to cook and look somewhere else at the same time. His brain was sort of running on empty at this point. Sixty's weird comment didn't even faze him at this point - he was used to his boyfriend blurting things out when he was trying to be emotionally vulnerable. "Me too" Allen chuckled, risking a glance over at the two of them, "Because if I was, I might be interested in a different twin. And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

The strangest set of emotions rocketed through Sixty. On one hand he was utterly overcome with jealousy at the idea of Allen even looking at Connor. But on the other hand, he wanted to shove Connor forward because Allen was good and Sixty would give anything good to his brothers. Out of habit, Connor wanted to laugh it off and say Hank would have had something to say about it but thoughts of his boyfriend had him choking up. He might not have Hank in his life after the previous night. Both their turmoils were halted by a knock on the door. Nines had arrived.

Allen just focused on the eggs, glad he had that to concentrate on while both twins had some sort of weird emotional moment. He really wasn't equipped to handle that this morning. When he heard the knock on the door he was relieved, knowing there would be at least one stable and awake person in the house now. "Can one of you get the door please?" He asked, cracking another egg into the pan.

Sixty nodded and left, letting Nines in. It left Connor fidgeting in the kitchen and nervous. He had no idea what to say to Allen after all that had happened. A 'sorry' again just didn't seem to cut it. So he stayed silent and waited for his brothers to come and rescue him from this awkward social hell.

Allen watched Connor out of the corner of his eye as he finished frying up the eggs and plated them. Eventually he took pity on him and said "I don't bite. Promise. Not unless I'm asked." He knew this was a terrible social situation for both of them, but it was Connor's fault so he didn't feel  _ that _ bad.

A meek "no thank you" was all Connor managed to squeak out, trying to ignore the murmured conversation from the front door. The next moment Nines was striding in and wrapping him in a tight hug. "I'm glad you're okay," he murmured, not letting Connor go. Behind them, Sixty slipped into the kitchen and settled, leaning against the counter, next to Allen.

Okay, so joking wasn't quite on the menu yet, Allen could live with that. He was relieved to see Nines enter the room, turning his attention back to Sixty with a soft smile. Reaching out, he wrapped one arm around his boyfriend so he could lean closer, murmuring "You know you're the only one for me, right?"

"I should certainly hope so," Sixty replied tiredly. "They'll be gone in a minute and we can go sleep."

Sure enough, Nines disentangled himself from Connor but kept a hand wrapped around his wrist. "I'll take it from here. Thank you." He looked to Connor. "Want to get Sumo and your bag?" A small nod from Connor and he was released. As he left the room, Nines looked around the kitchen. "Has he eaten or do I need to feed him?"

Allen squeezed him a little tighter before turning his attention back to Nines. He sure was a sight for sore eyes - alert and awake and taking charge. Perfect. "He's got an egg and toast here" Allen said, grabbing for the plate and holding it out towards Nines, "I can make you one too if you'd like." He had sort of forgotten that Nines would be coming, or he would have already made him an egg.

"I've already eaten, thanks," Nines replied and took the plate before turning to rummage around in a cupboard, looking for a lunchbox. Without looking up, he kept talking. "Sixty said it wasn't too bad a night. How you holding up?" Not at all bothered that he was being left out of the conversation, Sixty idly stroked lightly over Allen's arm, content to let his brother be boss for a minute. This was a familiar routine, even if Allen was a new addition to it.

Allen shrugged, replying honestly "I'm tired. Stayed awake all night, but that's a normal stakeout night. I just need to sleep now." He appreciated Nines' concern, he really did. It was nice to know that at least one brother was stable through all of this - Allen couldn't believe that Gavin had possibly picked the most calm one out of the three.

"I had no doubt you could handle that aspect," Nines replied, his tone a little bit cool. "I meant you've just discovered that your boyfriend's twin is a recovered drug addict who almost had a relapse. Someone you've also got volatile history with. That's bound to raise some emotions even in the most stoic of people." Silently, Sixty shuffled closer to Allen and leaned into his shoulder, offering silent support. If Nines kept pushing or was an idiot, he would step in but, for now, he was content to sit back and be a spectator.

Allen's gaze turned defiant as he met Nines' eyes now, not appreciating the implications of what he had to say. "I'm no stranger to handling someone with addiction." He said firmly, "It was surprising, yes, and worrying. But I'm not pleased to see Connor suffering, if that's what you're implying. Besides, these past few days have already been so much, this is barely worrying." Honestly, since this wasn't a 'Sixty' problem, Allen was almost relieved. It meant that although it would no doubt impact his life, he didn't have to try and solve it or help him through it. He just had to support his boyfriend, which was something he already planned to do anyways.

"I think he was expecting you to have a freakout," Sixty murmured quietly. "Our family is really putting you through your paces." Before things could escalate, Connor showed up in the kitchen again, Sumo on a leash. He looked at Nines and asked "ready?" They swapped parcels, Connor ended up with a lunch box while Nines took the backpack. "Thanks for the night shift." Nines nodded at the two cuddled up by the counter. "Have a relaxing day." With that, Nines turned them out of the kitchen and Connor looked over his shoulder, mouthing a soft "thank you". While it was meant for both Sixty and Allen, he kept eye contact with his brother's boyfriend. The door shut behind them and a stilted silence descended on the kitchen.

Allen shrugged, replying "It takes a lot to get me to freak out." And it really did - years of being on the SWAT team and being self sufficient had made him a pretty unflappable person. Add onto that his experience with Hank, and yeah. This wasn't going to break him. Maybe stress him out and make him tired, but nothing dramatic like a meltdown. "You too." Allen nodded, giving a little wave and nodding to Connor. He appreciated the thanks, he really did. Maybe they really could find some kind of middle ground where neither of them wanted to throttle the other. It was going to take a while, but Connor was finally making an effort. When they were finally alone, Allen turned to Sixty and smiled tiredly, asking "Breakfast and then bed?"

"Sounds perfect." Sixty sighed, eyes closed. "I'll go change the sheets while you finish your eggs." He was already winding down, prepared to sleep the day away. But he very much doubted Allen would want to sleep in the same sheets as Connor. While he didn’t mind, it was his twin and they shared beds often enough, he didn't want to assume his boyfriend would be the same.

"I'll second that, perfect," Allen agreed, turning back to the stove to reheat their breakfast and add some final seasoning. He wouldn't have suggested it, but the idea of having clean sheets after Connor left really appealed to him. Not because he was dirty, more because it was...someone else. Not Sixty. And all Allen wanted now was Sixty.

Changing the sheets was simple enough. Sixty jiggled around a little to get the duvet sorted before turning to the pillows. He sat down heavily on the mattress and sighed, eyes closed. All pillows changed, he leaned down, wanting to just rest his back for a moment. Eyes closed, Sixty marvelled at how comfortable his bed actually was. He really didn't mean to fall asleep but he did, above the covers, the old sheets still by his feet.

When Sixty didn't return, Allen took the two plates of breakfast into the bedroom. When he saw his boyfriend laid on the bed asleep, he couldn't help the fond smile that spread across his face. He really was adorable, wasn't he? Setting the breakfast plates on the nightstand, Allen reached down and set a gentle hand on Sixty's arm, not wanting to startle him. "Sixty, wake up. I want you to eat." He said softly. It was important to him that they both ate something before they slept.

Blinking awake, Sixty flushed bright red at having fallen asleep when he hadn't quite meant to. "Sorry," he murmured, running a hand through his hair and leaving it in a messy disarray. "Looks amazing." His heart was also squeezing a little at the care Allen was showing him. Nobody before had said "I want you to eat" to Sixty and it was making him feel soft. "Thank you," he whispered, staring at his food.

"Don't apologize," Allen said with a soft chuckle, reaching up to gently rearrange the hair that had gotten messy, "I totally get it. I'm exhausted too." Passing Sixty his plate, Allen started on his own breakfast, encouraging Sixty to join him with a nod and a little smile. The sooner they ate, the sooner they could be asleep.

One of Sixty's skills was scarfing down food at an alarming rate. His plate was empty in under two minutes, he barely had time to enjoy it but it was good. "Plates can wait. Stick it on the bedside table when you're done," he said and settled down on his half of the bed, finally under the covers. Sleep beckoned him but he looked up at Allen, silently asking for permission to be allowed to sleep.

Allen ate at a more sedate pace, wanting to make sure that he wasn't going to make himself sick. Looking over at Sixty's empty plate, he chuckled and asked "Good?" It must have been, given how fast Sixty had inhaled it. Finishing his own plate and unaware of Sixty waiting for him, Allen set the dish aside and burrowed under the covers. He instinctively reached for his boyfriend, snuggling the two of them up as closely as possible, his head pillowed on Sixty's chest.

Staying awake had been worth it. With Allen nestled up and head on his chest, Sixty could feel some tension easing from him and he leaned to press a kiss to the crown of his boyfriend's head. "Get some sleep," he murmured. "You've more than earned it." Idly, he wondered whether he could stay awake and protect Allen like he had done overnight. However, that thought was rapidly wiped out by a yawn and sleep clawing at his mind until he slipped into slumber.

"We both have" Allen said, his words ending in a massive yawn that had his jaw cracking and his eyes watering. Fuck he was tired. But it had been worth it, this whole situation could have gone so much worse. And here, cuddled up and cradled by his boyfriend, Allen felt completely at ease. He was asleep within minutes, dead to the world for as long as the world would allow.


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what all this hard work, communication, and mutual support has earned? Some more bottom Allen.
> 
> If you skipped the previous arc, welcome back! :) Moving forward, the focus of the arcs will no longer be on the subject of drug use/addiction. Future arcs dealing with serious topics will be marked in a similar fashion.
> 
> To follow Connor's story further, head to [Chapter 15 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166/chapters/67537108)

Sleeping away the day was never Sixty's style and he woke up early afternoon with a soft groan. Allen was still next to him, snuggled in which was a comfort he decided to indulge in. Turning to face his boyfriend, Sixty squirmed around until his was pressed against Allen's chest, legs tangled comfortably. It was more intimate than any sex Sixty had ever imagined. Even more surprising, he adored it.

Allen was tired, but he had never been a deep sleeper. So when Sixty started wiggling around and pressing against him, he started to slowly wake up. Not seriously, not yet, but enough to have him making soft little sounds as he squirmed closer to his boyfriend.

Such casual intimacy and easy expression of care had Sixty's heart in his throat. He sighed happily, kissing over Allen's sleep warm skin, revelling in how welcome he was made to feel, even when his boyfriend was still half asleep. This was the kind of fairy tale love that Sixty had always assumed to be an exaggeration in children's books. To have it in front of him, pretty much on a platter was something that had his mood soaring. "I love you," he murmured, content if Allen didn't even really hear him.

Allen wasn't quite aware of what Sixty was saying, but he heard the gentle murmur of his voice and felt the warm brush of his lips, and that was good enough. It had him smiling sleepily, slowly blinking his eyes open so he could look up at his boyfriend. He still had bags under his eyes, and his chin was starting to get stubbly, but he looked terribly fond nonetheless.

That fond look from Allen while still sleep mussed had Sixty's heart lurching painfully in his chest. He honestly felt like he was in one of those romantic dramas Nines seemed so fond of inflicting on them on movie nights. It was impossible to resist leaning in to kiss him softly, dry lips probably not feeling too great against Allen's but that was easy enough to forget in the moment.

Allen was pleasantly surprised by the kiss, leaning into it happily. He had morning breath and both of their lips were chapped, but it felt nice nonetheless. Because it was Sixty, and they were happy and safe for at least a little while. "I could get used to waking up like this" He mumbled, voice still syrupy and thick with sleep.

"The offer of a key is still on the table," Sixty reminded him gently. "We can get one cut for you today if you'd like." It was an idea he was really warming to. Imagining Allen coming home after work. The two of them in domestic bliss. Hope for something like that becoming reality bloomed in his chest.

Now that Sixty wasn't bawling his eyes out and trying to break up with him, Allen actually considered the possibility of a key as something real. And he found that the thought made him smile even wider, looking up at his boyfriend with slightly more alert eyes. "I'd be honored." He said simply, knowing just how much trust and faith this act of sharing his home permanently like this meant to Sixty.

Somehow, Sixty wasn't expecting that answer. He had been braced for rejection without even realising and Allen's easy acceptance sent him into a wide eyed spiral of awe. "Really?" he asked, forgetting that Allen hadn't ever lied to him. Gradually, Sixty was beginning to realise that there was not one bad bone in Allen's body. It was something he admired and loved. A little giddy at the thought, he looked at Allen, loving the fact he could declare his heartfelt adoration and know that it was returned.

Allen supposed he shouldn't be surprised that Sixty hadn't been expecting him to agree. After all, he had turned him down the first time. "Yes really" He reassured with a smile, leaning up to press another kiss to his lips. "Would you like a key to my place too?" Allen asked, feeling like it was only fair.

Stunned silence engulfed Sixty. He had been offering up his safe haven to share with his boyfriend but he hadn't expected the offer to be returned so readily. "That's- It's-" he was speechless but trying to make words come regardless. "I wouldn't- I mean yes but no. It's your home. I couldn't ask for that." He hoped it made sense to Allen, that Sixty would be honoured but he didn't want it to be an obligation or feel like just because Sixty had offered, he had to suffer an intrusion to his own private space. Not that Sixty would even dream of turning up without checking beforehand to make sure he was welcome.

To Allen it just made sense - why would he take a key to his boyfriend's apartment without offering his in return? It would be a silly sort of double standard if he didn't. So he was surprised at Sixty's reaction, his heart aching at just another example of how hurt Sixty must have been in the past. "Sixty, babe, you're offering me your home, I want you in mine as well. That's how this partnership works." Allen said gently, trying not to be too forceful about it and make it sound like he was angry.

"Just because one half offers doesn't mean the other half has to. Love isn't always equal and it shouldn't be forced." It was said like something that had been repeated to Sixty over and over again, something he had learned by rote until he truly believed it. "One heart might be there but the other might take longer. And sometimes that heart will never get there. And that's okay too."

Allen frowned at that, confused at the weirdly formulaic text. It rubbed him the wrong way, somehow. “It’s true that you can’t force love but...we’re partners.” Allen said slowly, “I love you, I want to give to you as much as I can in my own way, not just take whatever you give me.” He paused and asked “Where did you learn that little speech?”

Hesitant, Sixty peered up at Allen, a little confused. "Amanda always told us that. Whenever something happened at home, if Elijah did something, she'd remind us that love wasn't always equal. That she loved Elijah and that was the most important. As long as we loved, it would be okay." He swallowed thickly, watching Allen's reaction. Much more quietly, he added, "You're going to tell me that's not true, aren't you? I've seen you get that look before."

Allen's heart sank as Sixty explained. Of course he had learned this from his adoptive mother, who had been suffering through an abusive relationship. That wasn't just troubling, it was heartbreaking. He knew he had to tread carefully here, so he took a few moments to gather his thoughts. "That's not something I want to be true of our relationship." Allen eventually settled on, "We aren't going to force anything, but I want this to be an equal partnership. Where we love and support each other together, not take or give unequally."

Hearing that was only mildly bewildering. Sixty had anticipated being told he was wrong (again) but he wasn't prepared for the way Allen didn't actually belittle him for it. If anything, he was being presented with an alternate approach without reproach. Though his traitorous brain was already unpicking it all, whispering how he was constantly taking without offering much back. "I think I'd like that," he whispered, not quite trusting himself to say anything else. Instead, he leaned up and kissed his boyfriend, tugging him so Sixty was pinned under him.

Allen was relieved his approach had paid off, having been worried that coming across too strong would set Sixty off and upset him further. As it was, he seemed to be actually quite happy with what his boyfriend had to offer, and that was a good thing. Allen happily blanketed Sixty with his body, relaxing against him and returning the kiss - lazy at first, then licking curiously against his lips to try and test and the waters.

It was natural for Sixty to open up to Allen. As he'd said repeatedly before, his coping mechanism was sex. To have Allen hesitantly offer made his heart soar, suddenly eager for all the comfort being offered. "You sure?" he asked softly, wanting to understand just what Allen was comfortable with.

The morning was lazy, neither of them had work, and Allen wanted the reassurance of something familiar. So he was more than happy to indulge his boyfriend and his own desires a little. "Absolutely" He said with a soft smile, nipping at Sixty's lip playfully to prove his point.

A soft squeal of delight left Sixty at that and he felt foolish but at the same time elated. It felt like he and Allen were maybe, finally on the same page about things. No more secrets, no more ugly truths to worry about. Just them, loving each other and taking things one step at a time. Much more eager, Sixty chased his boyfriend's lips, determined to get more than a hesitant kiss and a nip. They could do so much better.

Allen was sure that was the sweetest sound he had heard out of Sixty in days, and it made him smile. Which quickly became quite difficult as his mouth was otherwise occupied. Allen easily melted into the kiss, making a good show of dominance while also allowing Sixty to take control for short periods of time. Give and take, as it were.

It was so easy to give over to the rhythm Allen set. Sixty followed his lead, opening up sweetly under him, whining in his throat a little. "What would you like?" he asked, breath coming short and sharp even from just kissing. Eyes dark, he stared up at his boyfriend, ready to offer him anything Allen could ask for.

Allen considered the proposition seriously, knowing that anything he asked for, Sixty would give him, no questions asked. It was a dangerous power to wield, but he liked to think he wielded it for good. "Do you feel like fucking me again?" Allen purred, grinding down against Sixty lazily. It would be good to give that another try, see if they couldn't do it properly this time.

The offer had Sixty's breath stuttering. He gazed up at Allen with wide eyes, mouth a little open, not quite sure whether to believe his ears. "Yes?" It came out as a question, a little squeaked and breathless. "I mean, I think I might have a cock ring somewhere so it's not over embarrassingly fast."

Allen smiled fondly down at Sixty, but there was a hint of heat to it as well. He really did look forward to the day when Sixty was experienced enough to really rail him, because that was going to feel amazing. All of the practice up to that point would be great too. "Why don't you go get it, and pass me some lube, hm? Unless you want to open me up too?" He asked, rolling off of his boyfriend with some sadness.

It was like Sixty was being given everything on a silver platter. He looked at Allen before moving to get everything that had been asked for. "Could I watch you?" He asked softly, wanting to see how his boyfriend liked it, hoping to be able to replicate it at some point in the future.

"Sure thing baby" Allen said with a smile, shuffling up onto his knees and reaching out for the lube. If he was going to put on a show, this would be a good position to do it in. The thought of Sixty watching him while he fingered himself open already had his cock starting to perk up with interest, and Allen found himself eager to begin.

Watching with rapt attention, Sixty settled in, pushing himself so he sat up against the headboard. "Go slow?" he asked shyly, hoping to get a bit of a show out of it. The way he figured, Allen was his boyfriend, they might as well get to enjoy each other as much as possible.

Allen nodded, having planned to go slow anyways. He wanted to be able to savor these moments together now that they had them, to prove that they didn't need to hide and hurry in offices and under desks. They were together now, they could enjoy each other. As was his usual habit, Allen started with just one finger, slowly slipping it inside of himself and savoring the easy slide. He liked to work his way up gradually, the slow build of fullness much more alluring than a sudden stretch.

A soft sigh left Sixty's throat as he watched. It was so much better than any porn he had watched before. Much more real, so much more alluring. "Show me how you like it," he asked, hands fisted either side of his hips to keep him from touching both himself and his boyfriend. That would come later. For now, he just wanted to enjoy the sight of Allen opening himself up.

The fact that Sixty was making himself a captive audience and not trying to touch himself or Allen was pretty fucking hot. It had Allen sighing out a little moan as he eased the next finger inside. "I like to go slow" He explained as he worked, breath hitching as he slowly scissored those two fingers inside of himself, "Savor the buildup instead of rushing to the prize." Of course, there were times when he absolutely couldn't wait, but tonight wasn't one of those nights.

"You make me want to pull your fingers away and replace them with mine. Maybe even my tongue." He swallowed thickly, gaze locked to where Allen was working himself open. However, he kept his hands to himself, bottom lip firmly clasped between his teeth. He wanted to see everything Allen wanted to give, hear the way his breath caught in his throat as fingers spread him wider. All too soon, Sixty was going to need to put the ring on because he wasn't going to last if Allen kept it up.

Allen moaned again, intentionally avoiding his prostate as he worked a third finger in. "Another night, babe. I'll let you eat me out as long as you like, how does that sound?" He murmured, starting to pump his fingers in and out ever so slowly. God, this was like the most exquisite torture - with Sixty watching him so intently everything felt so much more raw and intense, and Allen was sure he wasn't going to be able to take it as slow as he usually did. Instead he was going to crack fairly soon and start begging for his boyfriend's cock, which would be both embarrassing and also very hot.

The small groan of "Fletch, please" that wound its way from Sixty's lips was soft and pleading. He wanted his boyfriend, needed to feel him. Carefully, Sixty fit the cockring snug around himself, barely daring to brush fingers against his straining erection for fear of losing out on pleasure later. Mindlessly, he reached for Allen, keen to touch him in any way possible. Need was making decisions and words difficult but Sixty would show his appreciation in other ways too.

As soon as Sixty reached for him, Allen was lost. He didn't want to wait any more, he wanted Sixty to fuck him  _ now _ . Pulling his fingers out of himself with a whine at the loss, he leaned into his boyfriend's touch, murmuring "How do you want me? I need you inside of me as soon as possible" Maybe that wasn't the sexiest way to say it, but Allen's brain wasn't exactly running on full power right now.

"Ride me. Take what you need." Sixty's voice was hoarse and low, eyes dark as they stayed fixed on Allen. He was so glad for the ring around his cock, holding everything in check.

A low growl escaped Allen as he pushed Sixty down onto the bed on his back. He wasn't going to waste any more of his time on talking, not until he had that cock inside of him. Straddling Sixty's hips, Allen reached down and lined himself up before slowly starting to sink down. As impatient as he was, Allen wasn't going to just slam himself down, no, he wanted Sixty to savor this moment as much as he was.

Hands easily finding Allen's hips, Sixty threw his head back. His whole body was already covered in sweat, muscles tight as he tried to fight for control of himself. Gritting his teeth, eyes squeezed shut, he struggled and a small, broken noise caught in his throat. It was embarrassing how close he was already but he'd already lasted longer than the first time so it was a win in some ways. "Careful," he whispered, knowing that if Allen moved too much, then ring or no ring, he was going to come.

Allen held himself still once he bottomed out, chest rising and falling in big gasping breaths as he adjusted to the sensation. This was one of his favorite moments, when he got that first full stretch of a cock inside of him. Toys just weren't the same for him, and he was going to be craving Sixty's cock now that he'd had it once. "It's okay, I've got you" Allen reassured, voice as steady as he could manage it. He was looking down at Sixty and absolutely loving it, every part of him a perfect picture. "Look at me babe, you're so fucking pretty but I want to see you right now"

Eyes opening slowly, Sixty stared up at Allen. He was already panting through his mouth, fingers flexing on Allen's hips. The only good thing was that the position didn't allow Sixty to rock up into the tight heat mindlessly, chasing his own pleasure. "Please," he begged, needing more but also wanting to draw it out. All Sixty could do was try and grind up into Allen's body, edging the line of pleasure and too much.

Allen nodded, hands coming down to brace on Sixty's sides, tracing the sweaty skin there. "I'll give you anything you want" he murmured, lifting his hips and treating them both to an experimental thrust, slow and careful. Absolutely perfect in Allen's opinion, but he was still craving more. The next thrust was a bit quicker, his thighs easily lifting and lowering him along Sixty's cock.

"Slowly," Sixty pleaded, eyes glued to Allen, the way his muscles flex with each small move. His hands on his hips tried to help guide Allen into more of a grind than a bounce, urging movement without it being too much. More could come later, already Sixty was backing away from the precipice of a climax but he wanted a few more moments to be absolutely safe.

Allen huffed out a breath in frustration as Sixty slowed him down, forcing his movements to be smaller and more controlled. Now that he had Sixty inside of him, he wanted  _ more _ . But Allen had promised he would do whatever his boyfriend wanted, and he would never do anything to upset him on purpose. So he ground down instead, rocking his hips in an attempt to find just the right angle.

It definitely helped pull Sixty back from the edge and he muttered a quiet "thank you" and he tried to help Allen find a good angle by helping tilt his hips. With a bit more of his wits about him, Sixty managed to pull up his legs and plant his feet so he could rock up into his boyfriend, to bring him pleasure too.

Allen couldn't help but smile, Sixty was just too sweet, even when they were having sex. So polite, and so good for him. It made Allen want to try harder to make sure he felt good. The first good thrust upwards that Sixty managed punched a little moan out of Allen. That was more like it. He ground down just a little bit harder on the next downstroke, trying to wring a bit more pleasure since he couldn't ride Sixty any harder yet.

Gradually, they could pick up speed and Sixty let his head fall back. Eyes only half open, he watched Allen move above him, captivated by his motion. "So pretty," he mumbled, love and lust drunk. "My lovely boyfriend. Want to come on my cock? Be filled up like you ought to be?"

Allen was panting as he was finally allowed to move the way he wanted to, properly fucking himself on Sixty's cock. It felt fantastic, not only because of the physical aspect but also because of the intense emotions associated with this - Allen knowing he was Sixty's first proper fuck, knowing that he was trusting him to make this good for both of them, it was all so perfect. Gasping as he arched his hips and angled Sixty inside of himself just the right way, Allen was helpless to the pretty words falling out of his boyfriend's mouth. "Yes yes yes" He chanted, feeling everything tightening up as he started to reach his peak.

Ring or no ring, Sixty wasn't going to last long. He was already on edge and with Allen moving fluidly over him, it was a matter of how much longer he could will himself to hold back. Fumbling a little, he took Allen's cock in his fist, hoping to give him a little extra to push him over because Sixty was determined not to come first. "So close, Fletch," he cried, muscles tight and shaking. Right from the start it had been a losing battle and Sixty choked back on a cry as he finally came, world dropping away for a moment as he floated on the highs of his orgasm.

Sixty's fist on his cock felt incredible, and Allen sped up as much as he could, determined to push over that edge with his boyfriend. His own thighs were shaking now, legs complaining at the exertion, and the air was filled with the sound of his harsh panting breaths. In the end, it was the feeling of Sixty spilling inside of him that tipped Allen over the edge, a low moan escaping as he came all over Sixty's hand. He was shuddering as he slowly came to a halt, all but collapsing on top of his boyfriend.


	63. Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very serious discussion on the methods of getting un-stickied.

Somewhat dazed and very sated, Sixty only tipped his head to the side so he could breathe under Allen. Other than that, he was perfectly content to be a pillow for his boyfriend. Gradually, the world filtered back and he squirmed, the ring no longer comfortable around his cock and everything was cooling rapidly. "Still alive?" He grunted at Allen, giving his back a rub with his clean hand. The other was still trapped between them and Sixty most definitely wasn't a fan of congealing come between his fingers.

Allen let himself relish in the boneless warmth of a good orgasm, slowly slowing his breaths down to a steady huff against Sixty's skin. He could feel the mess between them, but he didn't particularly care, not as worried about stickiness in the face of such comfort. "Yeah" Allen chuckled when questioned, managing to life his head to stare at his boyfriend, "You?"

"I think I came enough of my brains out to be eligible to join the SWAT team," Sixty joked and pressed a kiss to Allen's shoulder in apology. He squirmed a little and decided that cuddles would have to wait. "Could we clean up?"

Allen snorted at the jab and retorted "Brave words from a man whose mouth is within kissing distance" He leaned in to kiss Sixty just to prove his point, grinning as he pulled away. "Sure, let's get un-stickied." He agreed, rolling off of Sixty with a little groan and sitting up. He felt great, that dull ache of strenuous activity a welcome one.

This was something Sixty could easily get used to. Well, the kisses and easy affection. Definitely not the stickiness. He shuffled so he sat next to Allen on the bed and bumped their shoulders. "Want first dibs on the shower?" He didn't want to assume Allen wanted him in the shower. Sometimes, after such an intense emotional roller coaster, it was better to be alone for a bit. At least, that's what Sixty thought, whether it was true for Allen was a different matter and this was his way of asking.

Allen chuckled and easily shook his head. "Last I recall, your shower was big enough for two." He didn't read too much into the offer, just assumed Sixty was trying to be a gracious host. He'd get used to sharing soon enough, Allen was sure. Standing up, Allen did his best to ignore the feeling of the mess between his legs leaking down his thighs, holding out a hand for Sixty so they could talk to the shower together.

Despite his best efforts, Sixty was going all shy again in the face of such easy affection. He took Allen's hand and let himself be led into the bathroom. There, he actually could make himself useful and reached to turn the water on for them, fussing to get the temperature just right before letting Allen get anywhere near it. "I don't know the etiquette here." He finally admitted. "Do you need help getting clean? Or do you need a bit of privacy?" His inexperience was really showing and he hated it.

Allen was surprised when Sixty asked, but he did his best not to show it. "We've showered together before. I, well, I like getting clean with my partner after sex. It's intimacy, you know. But more gentle, less frantic." He explained carefully, shooting Sixty a reassuring smile. "I like being together with you, so no, unless you want some space I very much want to shower together and wash up as a team."

"I was talking about cleaning the jizz out of your arse," Sixty bit out in the end. "Do you like, shit it out? Or use fingers?" He felt so very foolish for asking. The previous time had been a bit of a blur of humiliation and he couldn't for the life of him remember what they had done. So he was left floundering and very much at Allen's mercy.

Allen had to bite back a laugh at Sixty's awkward question. It was too cute not to laugh, but he could tell Sixty was embarrassed and he didn't want to make it seem like he was laughing at him. "I'll use my fingers in the shower and then, well, anything that's in there deep enough I can't reach it will indeed come out next time I take a shit." Allen said, trying his damndest to keep a straight face and explain this like it wasn't the silliest possible thing to explain out loud. Sixty didn't know, that was fine. It had just been so long since he'd had to actually think about the mechanics of it all.

Watching his boyfriend, Sixty saw the hints of a smile and sighed. "It's okay, you can laugh. I know it's a stupid thing to ask." He tried not to scrunch his nose up too hard at the answer too. "Do you need any help? Not with the shitting part, obviously." It was the least he could offer, figuring he was the one who got come into Allen so should be the one to help get it out.

Allen grinned and said "It's mostly just hearing your very serious voice say the phrase 'cleaning the jizz out of your arse'. The question is valid." He didn't want to make his boyfriend think he couldn’t ask sexual questions like that. "I'm fine to get clean myself, thanks for the offer" Allen said firmly, noticing how Sixty seemed far less than excited at the idea, "But I would appreciate some help with shampooing my hair." He did still like the idea of them washing each other.

That was a bit of a relief. Sixty wasn't sure how he felt about the prospect of finger scooping come out of his boyfriend's backside. Even if he had put it there himself. "Cool. I'll-" he trailed off and looked around, not sure he should watch the process either, "I'll just, uh-" Sixty had no idea what to do other than stare at a wall awkwardly.

"Want to start washing up?" Allen suggested gently, "The shower's big enough for both of us." He could tell Sixty was feeling awkward, but he didn't want to suggest they just split up and shower one at a time unless things got really bad. Showering together was something Allen really liked, and he wanted them to do it together if possible. The past few times it had worked out, it seemed like this whole cleanup process was just tripping his boyfriend up.

Getting started on washing up was an easier task. Grateful to be given directions, Sixty set about getting the water running and keeping his eyes averted. He wondered whether he ought to make small talk while not looking at his boyfriend. It was all so weird. "What do you think about piercings?" he ended up blurting out, admiring the ingredients list of a shampoo.

Okay, if Allen wasn't worried this was going to be like, a really bad situation where Sixty got uncomfortable and panicked, he'd be laughing at how silly he looked trying not to look at the man he had just fucked. Maybe it was just post-sex nerves. "I mean, I think they're pretty hot. Don't have any because I was always worried they'd get snagged during a mission or in sparring." He admitted, starting up on cleaning himself out. It wasn't fun, but it was just like washing anything else, in Allen's opinion.

It was kind of ridiculous that Sixty's job was to be, sometimes literally, elbow deep in dead people; some of whom had copious amounts of bodily fluids that weren't theirs. And yet he couldn't bring himself to watch his own boyfriend get clean from something they had done together. It felt much more intimate and personal. Plus, Allen wasn't dead so could feel shame and discomfort while the dead couldn't. "I'm thinking about getting some," he said and, out of habit, looked over at Allen. Talking to someone without looking at them wasn't something he really did. And that was how he got an eyeful of his boyfriend casually getting clean. Oddly, he didn't make it seem like such a big deal and Sixty's brows creased as he tried to sort his emotions out.

Allen had sort of accepted that Sixty was a little shy and awkward when it came to big new relationship milestones. It was equal parts cute and frustrating at times, but it was a part of his boyfriend. So he accommodated it and didn't push. "Oh shit, really?" Allen asked, his own eyebrows shooting up a little as he considered the possibility of Sixty having piercings, "That would be amazing. Where are you thinking?" He could tell Sixty was watching so he did his best to be casual about having a few fingers up his own ass.

"Ever heard of corset piercings?" Sixty asked, carefully keeping his eyes on Allen's face now. "Tempted by that. Would love it on my throat but I think work would disapprove. The dead have no sense of fashion."

Allen choked a little on his own spit as Sixty suggested not only corset piercings, but corset piercings on his throat. The image was way too hot, he was sure he’d never heard of anything more attractive. “Fuck, you’d look gorgeous” Allen muttered, voice low and eyes trained on Sixty’s throat as he imagined the piercings already there.

A hopeful but shy "yeah?" was Sixty's response. He found he quite liked the way Allen's eyes were on his throat, as if he was already seeing the piercings there. It made his want for them that much stronger, the idea of his boyfriend being into them making it that much more appealing. "Maybe next month, after payday, I might look into it."

"Yeah" Allen murmured, nodding. He had to shake himself out of his little stupor, remembering that they were in the shower for a reason: to get clean. Clearing his throat, he busied himself with finishing up his cleaning, not wanting to linger on that for any longer than necessary and make it awkward. Once he was finished, Allen said sincerely, stumbling a little over his words "So, uh, yeah. Suffice it to say I'd be very into that idea. If you wanted to do that."

Somehow, the fact that Allen was so into it made Sixty flush with happiness. It was something they could share but also something Sixty could do for the both of them. While he knew that he didn't always have much to offer, at least he could give his boyfriend his body. Which, he had already done really, not just in terms of sex but with the tattoo over his heart and now, possibly with the piercings. "I might already have a place in mind. Where they did my tattoos. They're quite decent there." Now that Allen was finished cleaning up, Sixty felt more comfortable approaching, eager to help get his boyfriend clean in a less invasive way.

Had Allen been able to hear Sixty's thoughts, he would have been pretty distressed at the thought pattern there. But as it was he was just happy to have Sixty close to him again, and speaking more excitedly about his new piercing ideas. "I'd love to go with you, if you're comfortable with it" Allen said, handing over the soap to Sixty if he wanted it, "Maybe I'll get inspired to get a new tattoo while I'm there." He was always kind of thinking of new tattoos in the back of his mind, but it usually took something important to get him a new one. Sixty though, Sixty was important enough.

The idea of Allen getting a new tattoo had Sixty perking up in interest. He couldn't quite put a finger on why but it was definitely sexy. "We could go there this afternoon. I can ask about the piercings, you can look around, see if you like them and their work." Actually, Sixty really liked the idea of going there with his boyfriend and he was excited enough to forget about where they were and why. Automatically reaching for the body wash and starting to help Allen get clean while his mind wandered over possibilities and a myriad of futures, all with the same outcome but with a myriad of small details changed.

“Sure, sounds like a fun afternoon date” Allen said with a smile, pleased at the idea of going out and doing something nice with his boyfriend. The fact that it was extra sexy was just a bonus. When Sixty started washing him, Allen wasn’t about to complain. He just relaxed and let him work, smiling at the gentle but firm touches. It seemed like when Sixty wasn’t getting in his own head he was comfortable and confident.

If Allen had asked, Sixty would have easily agreed that overthinking was his downfall. Sometimes it served him well, especially at work where he had to puzzle over even the smallest of details and come up with a plausible explanation for it. But in a personal life, it was a bit of pitfall. "Afternoon date," he echoed with a small smile. This was exactly what they needed really. Something just for the two of them, where they could forget about everything. Finishing off with Allen, Sixty turned to give himself a brisk scrub.

Sixty was too cute, Allen couldn't help but lean up and kiss him for that. He reached out to help Sixty wash up as well, not wanting this to be a one-sided affair. "Want to drive over together? Or take one bike?" He asked. Either way would be fun, either they'd get to playfully weave around each other or they'd get to cuddle on the bike. Really, the benefits to dating another motorcycle enthusiast were endless.

Both choices were so appealing. Sixty hummed as he tried to decide. "Bike each," he chose that because he wanted a little bit of independence, to have a bit of control without someone peering over his shoulder or him having to rely on anyone else. "Shall we get going?" He hoped out of the shower and grabbed towels for them both, offering one up to Allen.

"Absolutely" Allen agreed, stepping out of the shower and taking the towel offered him. He was always eager to be out on the road with his bike under him. It was one of his absolute favorite feelings, right next to sex with his boyfriend. Which was, to be fair, very nice. Getting dressed and ready was an easy business, and Allen found himself almost giddy with the excitement of it - wanting to show off and play with Sixty on their bikes.


	64. Chapter 64

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allen may not realize it yet, but he's a bit of a celebrity at Sixty's favorite tattoo parlor. Can you guess who ends up embarrassed by this?

Once ready, Sixty found himself grinning as he zipped up his leather jacket. It was fortunate that Allen had his bike there already, along with all his riding gear. "Try to keep up," he winked and headed out the door as soon as his boyfriend was ready. "You'll get a kiss when we park up." Dancing away with a small giggle, he pulled his helmet on and kicked the bike into revving loudly.

Allen popped his helmet on, grinning under the visor. He liked this new twist on their relationship, where they still got to challenge each other and race, but at the end he'd get a kiss as his prize instead of cruel words. Hopping onto his own bike, Allen revved in reply, peeling out onto the street.

Hot on Allen's tail, Sixty's bike roared down the street. It was exhilarating to be speeding after his boyfriend, pushing to play leapfrog while weaving between traffic. Actually, Sixty wasn't sure whether Allen even knew where they were headed. Then again, they had all afternoon to play and get to their destinations. It didn't have to be a quick, direct ride. With that in mind, Sixty pulled up ahead and turned off down a random street, trusting Allen to follow.

Allen had no idea where they were going, and he knew he probably should have checked before taking off, but he didn't care all that much. He was having fun with his boyfriend, that's what this afternoon was about! The way they swerved around each other had him laughing behind his visor, truly just enjoying the chase. When Sixty peeled away, Allen chased him without a second thought.

The lightness of their play left Sixty breathless between laughter. This was the kind of freedom he had always craved, the open road, a rough destination without pressure to get there and someone to share it with. After a few more turns down roads without much thought for direction, he set them on their true path, eager to see what kind of tattoo Allen might pick if he had time to browse. Pulling up outside the tattoo parlour, he pulled his helmet off and leaned against his bike with a wide grin.

To Allen, this was a familiar feeling, but one that filled him with even more joy than before because he was sharing it with Sixty. Knowing that his boyfriend was getting to experience this joy of just playing together made him the happiest. When Allen pulled into a parking spot next to Sixty he slid off his bike with a fancy little hop and popped his helmet off to reveal a matching grin. "I believe I was promised a kiss" He teased, clearly not going to make kissing any easier by stopping his smile any time soon.

Feeling cocky, Sixty strutted up to Allen, reached to fist his gloved hand in already messy hair and pulled him in, giving his boyfriend no option but to yield under him. It probably wasn't the kind of kiss that could be classed as tame or as a spot of PDA but Sixty didn't care. Allen was his and the world ought to know. Only a honk of a passing car had them breaking apart and Sixty grinned. "I believe I delivered," he said with a soft growl. Not quite giving Allen a chance to recover, he turned, hand on Allen's arm and dragged him towards the tattoo parlour.

Allen couldn't help but whimper in pleasure at the shock of having Sixty completely dominate like this. He opened his mouth without any resistance, allowing his boyfriend to thoroughly claim him. There was no thought to where they were, or what they were supposed to be doing, just pure enjoyment. Breathless and stunned when they parted, Allen could only stumble after his boyfriend, a rather smug smile beginning to spread across his face - quite the cat who got the cream.

Walking into the studio, Sixty grinned and waved in greeting. He wasn't friends with the artists there but he had spent enough time (and money) there to be a familiar face. "Brought someone special," he announced proudly. "He might browse your design books. I want to talk piercings." Sixty was rather excited, his hand intertwined with Allen's, refusing to let him go but also keen to show him off at the same time.

Allen tried not to look too stupid when he was shown off like this, but he felt overwhelmingly happy and he knew that was shining through in his expression. There was something really special about Sixty feeling comfortable enough to show him off in public, holding his hand and announcing his presence. They were really making progress. Allen squeezed Sixty's hand and nodded to the artists, adding "Looking forward to seeing your work."

A couple of design books were brought out and Allen was pointed to a chair while Sixty was approached by one of the piercers. "I was thinking about a corset piercing," Sixty launched in. "Maybe down my throat." He turned to Allen. "Or did you have somewhere else in mind? Like my side or calf?"

Allen sat down and happily began to peruse - this shop did quality work it seemed, and he liked the fact that the style instinctively reminded him of Sixty now just by association. Looking up from the book when he was called, Allen admired Sixty's throat and then let his eyes slide down his body. Not too long so as to be creepy, but definitely appreciating his form. "The throat would look amazing. But anywhere would be hot, honestly. Whatever you're most comfortable with" He finally said.

Throat it was. Sixty was excited and a little apprehensive at the same time. This was going to be the first visible change to his appearance that he wouldn't be able to properly hide. "Maybe something simple to start with. Just four rather than six?" He asked the piercer, pointing at a picture in a book in front of him. At a nod, he tipped the book towards Allen, seeking his approval too.

The designs this shop did were all a lot more bright and colorful than Allen was used to having on his body, but the more he looked at them and then at Sixty, the more he liked the idea of having something on his body that matched his boyfriend. Sixty had a black and white piece on his chest dedicated to Allen, after all. He took a moment to pause in his considerations to look at what Sixty was showing him and nod enthusiastically. "Absolutely gorgeous. You're still okay with it though?" He asked, just wanting to make sure.

Sixty's attention was already on the little sample board of ribbons that the place sold to thread through the piercings. His eyes lingered on a basic silky black ribbon which was understated but definitely pretty. "More than okay," Sixty replied. He would need to wait a few months before getting it done because it wasn't exactly cheap but it was something nice to look forward to. "Have you seen anything you like the look of?"

Allen smiled as he watched Sixty eyeing the ribbons, able to tell from his glances just how okay he was with this. Good. That made him feel better about being so excited for it. "Was thinking maybe I should get some color" Allen admitted, "But I'm not an expert. You have any recommendations?"

Bounding over, Sixty peered over Allen's shoulder at the design portfolio. They were nice, pretty even but they didn't scream Allen at him. With a thoughtful hum he picked up another folder. Then another one, flipping through them idly. "How about something like this?" It was a simple pattern, bold but much more in line with the designs Allen already had. "Could colour if you wanted but it would look nice black too."

Allen was, quite frankly, touched that Sixty had managed to pick something out that was so perfect for him. The design actually appealed to him, making the thought of color much more bearable. "That's actually pretty cool" He admitted, leaning closer to inspect it, "What colors would you think suit me?"

Off the bat Sixty wanted to say purple but that wasn't a colour he actually thought Allen would want or would suit him. So, rather than blurt something selfish and stupid out, Sixty took a moment to consider. "How about a gradient? Solid black fading out?" But then again, Allen did ask about colour. "I can't imagine you with bold, solid colours. But if you want colour, how about something more subdued, more like a watercolour than popping comic book defined?" He could actually see it working quite well, subtle colours that blended rather than the eye catching brightness Sixty himself tended to prefer.

Allen took a moment to think about that, about how the faded colors might look on his skin. Slowly, he smiled, nodding. "I want to get some sort of color on me. It's only fair we should match, right?" He said, turning his gaze to Sixty, "I like the idea of a watercolor wash. That way it'll stand out from my other tattoos but not too much."

Muted and understated, it was perfect for Allen. Sixty nodded and smiled. "Where would you want to get it?" He was curious to hear Allen's ideas on it, whether he'd have it on his arms or chest with the others, or set it to the side, maybe on his leg. In a way, Sixty was also selfishly curious because it was a tattoo that was very much associated with him and its placement might give him an indication of how Allen viewed him.

Allen went quiet as he thought about that. The placement of his tattoos was very careful and thought out, all the designs interlocking across his back, shoulders, and starting to ooze down his arms. He wouldn’t want to just plonk it somewhere random. “Maybe...on my right wrist. Like a band with the purple bleeding up” he finally said, nodding as he accepted the idea. It made sense - he could see it then whenever he wanted, it would be close to Sixty, and it was something he’d be able to work his other tattoos towards for the future. It all made sense.

Purple. Sixty hadn't specified a colour but purple had always been what he thought of as 'his' colour. "It would look great," he gushed. "You don't mind that work might want you wearing long sleeves forever more?"

Allen shrugged, saying "I don't think any of my bosses care enough, and I'm high enough rank I think I can get away with it. If it's an issue I'll just wear long sleeves to meetings and fuck it the rest of the time." He grinned, adding "I wear long sleeves for the tactical gear anyways."

Eyes alight with excitement for Allen, Sixty nodded along. "You'll look amazing," he enthused, "do you want to book an appointment?" Subconsciously, Sixty rubbed his throat where he would eventually get his piercings. Hopefully Allen would want to go with him to the appointment. Not because Sixty needed someone to hold his hand but because he wanted to.

“Do you want me to wait until you get yours?” Allen asked, not wanting to step Sixty’s thunder and make this about him. This visit had been about his corset piercings, after all, but he wasn’t going to be able to get those for a while, Allen was realizing. And paying for them for his boyfriend probably wouldn’t go over well. Allen was learning - he was slow, but he was learning, and Sixty was fiercely independent. He admired that a lot, but it also meant it was hard to take care of him sometimes.

"Don't wait in my account, I'll probably need to wait a few months anyway," Sixty replied and leaned down to kiss Allen on the cheek. "I want you to do what makes you happy." Turning back to the front desk, Sixty hummed to himself as he thought about which tattoo artist to recommend for Allen's design. Not the guy he usually asked for, bold and bright were his specialities. Maybe it was better to ask who did the best soft, washed out colour styles.

The little kiss made him smile, and Allen debated a bit before making a decision, weighing his options. Waiting for Sixty to get his piercings might be nice, but he also didn't want to put a lot of pressure on his boyfriend to get them as soon as possible. That seemed unfair. "I guess I'll just go ahead and book an appointment then. Maybe just a consultation first, to get to know the artist" Allen decided, wandering over to join Sixty.

As Allen approached the desk, the artist who had been talking to Sixty about piercings smiled and looked between the two. "Tell me this is your Death." Sixty ducked his head with a small, shy smile, hand automatically reaching to rub at the tattoo on his chest.

Allen was startled for a moment, but quickly smiled and looped an arm around Sixty's waist as he realized the reference. "Boring black bike and all" He replied with a chuckle, "I take it you're the artist I have to thank for such a flattering representation."

"Actually, no." The artist shook his head. "But Sixty made sure everyone knew about you." Going bright red in the face, Sixty looked ready to get swallowed by a hole in the floor. He mumbled something unintelligible under his breath, a denial that had no heat or truth to it. It made the artist laugh. "It's okay, his eloquence couldn't live up to reality."

Allen was, well, he wasn't embarrassed by the fact that Sixty had bragged about him, that was pretty adorable actually. But the artist was definitely being a little bit more complimentary than necessary, in Allen's opinion. So he squeezed Sixty a little tighter and leaned up on his toes to press a kiss to his cheek. “Aw, babe. I’m flattered you talked me up to everyone.” He said, and while his tone was cheerful there was no hint of a joke to it. “It's the little things that make a relationship special, you know?” he added with a chuckle, looking over at the artist.

The artist grinned at the display of affection and Sixty's lost expression. "Well, how about we do a little special for you two then? You, Death, wanted a consultation if I heard right. And Sixty wants the piercings. There's appointment slots in half an hour and we'll do a 20% discount for you two." Sixty's head whipped up, eyes wide. He wanted it, so badly but his bank balance very much had different opinions sadly.

Allen had to chuckle at the casual nickname, but he was quickly distracted by how excited Sixty was. How could they not, when Sixty so obviously wanted it? It was a risk, and maybe he'd be in the doghouse for it later, but... "We'll take it" Allen said, nodding and reaching his free hand into his pocket for his wallet, "How could we turn down such a great deal?"

The double take Sixty did almost hurt his neck. "But-" He tried again. "That's-" No luck again. "Really?" Nobody had done something like that for him before and his mind was a little bit too shocked to form proper words.

"Yes really" Allen said with a smile, glad that the reaction was more on the surprised side and less on the angry or upset side. That was a good sign. Pulling out his card, he handed it to the artist. It was a bit of a splurge, sure, but he lived a fairly frugal life. No fancy clothes, no expenses aside from his bike and takeout, and the salary of a SWAT captain...he could afford to make his boyfriend happy.

A small laugh bubbled out of the artist, "Never thought I'd see the day Sixty was rendered speechless. Good job." The payment taken, card handed back, Sixty looked ready to bust at the seams, almost quivering with excitement. He wanted to say thank you but words didn't feel enough and anything more was definitely not suited for such a public setting. That would have to wait until they got home, for now, Sixty laced his fingers with Allen's and gave his hand a squeeze.

Allen chuckled and squeezed Sixty's hand in return. It felt so good to be able to inspire that excited look in his boyfriend. Made him feel like he was doing a good job, after all the missteps and problems that had plagued them before. "I like treating my baby" Allen said, hazarding a guess at what pet name might be acceptable. He knew 'boy' was bad, but they'd never really experimented in public too much.

If Sixty was red before, his cheeks were burning white hot now at the nickname. Surely Allen wasn't using it as a derogatory term but then that meant it was an endearment and Sixty gaped like a fish at him. "If you break my favourite customer," the artist laughed, "you'll have to take his place." Finally breaking, Sixty buried his face against Allen's shoulder, hiding from the world.

Allen felt a little bad for embarrassing Sixty so badly in public, even if he was adorable like this. When Sixty buried his face against Allen, he used the arm around his waist to pull him a little closer and allow him to burrow in better. "I would never even think of breaking him" Allen said with an easy smile, understanding that it was a joke but not wanting to engage in case Sixty took it seriously.

"Keep this up," Sixty growled, "and my eyes will be moister than an oyster." In short, he was going to tear up because he had no idea how to deal with such easy affection in such a public setting.

Allen laughed, saying "That won't do now, will it?" He genuinely really didn't want Sixty to cry, that would mess everything up. "Where should we wait for our appointment?" Allen asked the artist, wanting to take Sixty somewhere a little more private to make sure they could talk if he needed it.

"You can wait here or you can go for a walk. There's a bus stop just up the road that people like to sit in." The artist gestured to the chairs then the door. In Sixty's mind there was no question of choice. "Outside. Back later." He all but dragged Allen with him, intent on finding an alley wall to press him up against and make out with him like a horny teenager. It made him wish he was wearing a cock cage, just to add to the thrill.


	65. Chapter 65

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys have a little bit of fun before their appointments ;)

Allen didn't even bother trying to make a decision, he just followed along with whatever Sixty decided. He barely had time to grin and say "I'm glad you're so excited about this" before Sixty was kissing him silly up against the wall of the tattoo parlor in a little side street. Not that Allen was complaining, oh no. He happily melted into the kiss and let his boyfriend express his appreciation however he wanted.

Kissing was definitely something Sixty found himself enjoying more the more he did it. He pressed bodily against Allen, licking into his mouth with enthusiasm that hopefully made up for any lack of skill. "I can't believe you would do this for me." As if Allen hadn't already done so much. But Sixty could specify this in words and would have physical proof of Allen's love. It wasn't an engagement ring or whatever Gavin and Nines were doing. They weren't even thinking about marriage or anything as serious as that. This was something that still meant more to Sixty than he could ever hope to explain.

Allen's hands came to rest on Sixty's hips, holding him closer and reveling in the physical contact. If only they weren't practically in public in the middle of the day, Allen might have set a leg between Sixty's and let him grind a little bit. "I'd gladly do it ten times more if it makes you this happy" He murmured against Sixty's lips, smiling like a lovestruck fool. Which he was, really. He was terribly in love and a known fool, so it made sense that he would want to dote on his boyfriend in any way possible.

There was no need for Allen to push a thigh between Sixty's legs, he had other ways to have fun. Namely, he groped blindly at Allen's belt, working his hand inside shamelessly. "Just once is more than enough." He moved from Allen's lips to nip along his jaw and just behind his ear. "You're far too good to me." Mission successful, Allen's trousers were undone and Sixty dropped to his knees after a quick glance around the alley to make sure nobody was watching.

Allen swore under his breath as Sixty pulled open his jeans and suddenly dropped to his knees. "Maybe now's not, mm, not the best time?" He protested weakly, but couldn't deny the fact that he was already half hard. Sixty's excitement was infectious and hard to resist. Plus it wasn't like they hadn't fooled around in semi-public places before...

It absolutely was the best time, Sixty didn't care about anything else. He looked up at Allen with big eyes even as his mouth opened to take his boyfriend and work him to full hardness. With a mouth full of rapidly stiffening cock, it was difficult not to smirk proudly. Sixty was quite certain he won on the matter of whether it was the best time or not.

"Ah fuck" Allen groaned, his head tipping back and gently hitting the wall behind him. Despite everything he couldn't help the almost manic grin that spread across his face - Sixty sure did make his life interesting. The wet heat around his cock felt far too good for him to do anything but give in and let his boyfriend have his way.

Fuck indeed. Well, face fuck. Sixty tried to hide his triumph behind doing his best to focus on Allen. Trying to remember the way Allen liked to be licked and the pace he preferred, Sixty set to work. Feeling brave, he took one of Allen's hands and guided it to the back of his head. The message, he hoped, was clear: guide and hold but don't pull.

The one mercy of this whole situation was that Allen was sure he wasn’t going to last long. Especially not when sixty took his hand and put it there on his head. The trust that showed sent a shiver of arousal through Allen that had his toes curling. Fuck, they really had come a long way, hadn’t they? “You’re so Good to me, Sixty” Allen murmured, voice catching each time his boyfriend did something particularly nice with his mouth, “You learn so well, you’re so attentive...” He drifted off, hands petting shakily over Sixty’s hair but not taking any sort of firm hold for fear of hurting him.

A hum was all Sixty could manage with his mouth otherwise occupied. He kept his hands on Allen's hips, straying away from temptation to jerk himself off. The denial and buildup was half the fun as far as he was concerned. Deciding to be a bit brave, Sixty took Allen deeper, tried to swallow around his cock. It didn't end too well and he had to pull back but it wasn't the absolute disaster he had feared.

Allen nearly swallowed his tongue in surprise as Sixty managed the start of a deepthroat, a groan escaping at the sensation. A burst of worry followed immediately afterwards, but Sixty seemed fine so he didn't dwell on it too long. Hips starting to twitch in little aborted motions against his will, Allen murmured "I'm close. Fuck, Sixty, pull off." He hoped that didn't seem harsh, but the last time Sixty had tried to swallow he had almost been sick.

For the first time in his life, Sixty actually listened. He pulled away and replaced his mouth with a hand while staring up as Allen, lips puffy and shiny with spit. "Want you to come for me," he murmured.

With a sight like that to look at and a plea like that in his ear, it only took a few pumps of Sixty's hand before Allen was coming. He let out a soft moan of Sixty's name, still dimly aware they were in public and he couldn't be as loud as he wanted.

Maybe Sixty should have swallowed because at least then there would be minimal mess. Instead, come splashed on his thigh and he knew there was going to be no way to hide or clean that up. Shit. In that moment he decided that he didn't actually care. If someone had an issue with a sudden stain on his clothes, that was their problem. He was going to take quiet pride in making his boyfriend feel so good. Standing up, Sixty gave Allen a small kiss and wiped his hand on the wall.

Allen let his head thump back lazily against the wall as he rode out the pleasant aftershocks of his orgasm. He felt pleasantly warm and fuzzy, but thankfully not exhausted or in danger of falling over. It had been just the right amount of pleasure. “C’mere you” Allen murmured as Sixty kissed him, cupping the back of his neck and pulling him in for a more proper kiss. He knew he was a mess and they’d have to deal with that in a moment, but for now he wanted to thank his boyfriend properly.

For the first time in his life, Sixty held back on being an asshole. His first instinct was to wipe his leg against Allen's so they would both be covered in come. Yet, somehow it didn't seem as funny or fulfilling to be such a dick. Instead, he allowed himself to be kissed, keeping their bodies a careful distance apart to prevent even accidental smearing.

When they finally parted for air, Allen was smiling. "Goddamn, that was the most fun I've had with a stupid decision in a long time," he murmured, "You really spice up my life, you know that?" Looking down at the state of both of them, Allen first asked "What about you? You want me to help you get off too?" The mess could wait, Sixty was the priority.

"Could we wait?" Sixty mustered up the courage to ask. "My pleasure in your control and being denied for a while is-" he trailed off, trying to find the correct expression. He was struggling though. "It's quite nice." Way to sell the idea. Sixty could have kicked himself but it was out now, he had said it like the idiot he was.

The fact that Sixty enjoyed denial rushed back into Allen's addled brain, and he nodded. "Of course. You can wait until we've gotten cleaned up. Maybe until after we finish our consultations, how does that sound?" He offered, keeping his voice firm but not wanting to be too demanding right away. He was still getting used to this stuff, after all.

After the appointment sounded just perfect. It also made more sense than after cleaning up. If they got clean, only to make a mess again, that was ridiculous. "When we get home. Please." He watched Allen with big, awed eyes. They needed to clean up and get to their appointments soon anyway. "I didn't exactly bring wet wipes."

The pact sealed, as it were, Allen nodded seriously and leaned in for one last kiss before he turned his attention to less savory matters. "Hm...yeah, this is gonna be pretty obvious no matter how we spin it" He chuckled, "I hope you're not gonna be embarrassed by the guys in there knowing what we got up to."

"I think they knew it was going to happen." Sixty shrugged. "I have no shame about making you feel good." He used his hand to scoop the worst of it off his trousers and wiped it on the wall again. It was going to have to do. "I think this is out cue to return for our appointments." He held out an arm with a cocky grin. "You coming?"

Allen did his part of fussing and then decided to just bite the bullet and deal with it. Wasn't like they could get in trouble now that it was over. He couldn't believe now  _ he _ was the blushing embarrassed one, over something like a come stain on his jeans. "Already came, thanks to you" Allen said with a cheeky wink, taking Sixty's arm and ambling back towards the shop.

Delighted at the joke, Sixty threw his head back on a laugh. He tugged Allen closer and wrapped an arm around his waist, leading them back to the shop. Inside, his knees were given a glance and the artist smirked but had the good grace not to say anything. Except for giving Allen a thumbs up behind Sixty's back.

Allen allowed himself to be tucked against Sixty's side like a trophy and walked back into the shop with what he hoped was a confident grin. What was there to be ashamed of, when he had an amazing boyfriend who  _ wanted _ to suck him off in an alley. He tactfully ignored the artist's encouragements because of his earlier weird pass, and gave Sixty one last squeeze before they parted ways for their separate consultations.

Getting piercings hurt more than getting tattoos. At least, Sixty assumed because he never had a tattoo on his neck before. His eyes watered but he gritted his teeth. The ribbon that was threaded through the loops was loose so it didn't pull at all but it was still sore. However, it was worth it, if Allen saw it and found it pleasing. Sixty walked back out into the reception area with his head held high, proud of his newest acquisition.

Allen actually ended up liking the artist who worked with him on the tattoo consultation, the ideas shaping into something he could actually envision having on his arm. Not just a band but a sort of geometric bird wrapped around his wrist, wings outstretched as it took flight. Agreeing to book an appointment and get it done soon, Allen walked out into the waiting area with his papers. The moment he saw Sixty with those piercings his mouth ran dry and he internally thanked all the gods he had just come so that he couldn’t get hard immediately. By god those were gorgeous. He couldn’t stop staring.

While Sixty had felt good about his new look, seeing Allen come out and zero in on him like that made Sixty feel downright sexy and desirable. He cocked his head, showing off the piercings a little more for Allen. "We have got to stop meeting like this," he quipped but stayed in place, allowing Allen to approach him.

Allen swallowed hard and regained his composure, striding over and leaning up to press a chaste kiss to Sixty's lips. "Well then maybe you should stop looking so damn delightful every time I see you" He murmured against his lips before stepping back to admire the piercings again. "Wow. They look amazing. Did it hurt a lot?"

"I lived," Sixty tried to brush it off. He had been having second thoughts about eventually making it six piercings rather than four. But the way Allen looked at him, he knew he'd eventually have them done. "How was your consultation?"

Allen wanted nothing more than to get his hands and his tongue on those little rings but everything still looked so tender. Not to mention they were in public still. So he kept his hands to himself. “Great. Here’s what we ended up with” he said, showing Sixty the designs they’d settled on.

It was very considerate of Allen not to touch his piercings. That would have probably made Sixty squirm away and whine but not in a good way. Looking at the design, Sixty's mouth went dry. "That is stunning," he breathed, eyes wide. "It's going to be amazing on your skin."

Allen smiled, pleased Sixty liked it. Secretly, subtly, it was about him. For him, even. Not as blatant as the big black motorcycle on Sixty's chest, but when had Allen ever been as blunt as his boyfriend? "Thanks. I quite like it too." He agreed, nodding as he tucked the papers away, "A good afternoon all around, I'd say."

The design was rather different to all the other tattoos Allen had and Sixty wanted to see it on his skin with a strange kind of desperation. He took Allen's hand in his with a suddenly shy smile. "Can we go home?" Because the thrum of arousal was still sharp in his stomach, made all the more needy thanks to the look his boyfriend gave him.

"Yeah, let's go home" Allen agreed, squeezing Sixty's hand and smiling up at him. It was about time they went home and had some privacy to indulge in the feelings that had been bubbling up this whole time.

Something fluttered in Sixty's chest as he led them back to their bikes. "Your home or my home?" He was hopeful until his own thoughts crushed his dreams. "I mean. You can go to yours and I'll go to mine. That's what you obviously meant." He tried to laugh off his little mistake and reached for his helmet, ready to hide his blush under it.

Shit, Allen really had to remember to be more careful with his wording around Sixty. He took everything so to heart, and it was awful to watch his excitement get crushed like this. Allen reached out a hand and steadied Sixty's arm before he could hide his face behind his helmet. "Let's go back to your place, so we can see about that orgasm I promised you earlier, hm?" He said, trying to be more firm and blunt in the hopes that Sixty couldn't misinterpret it.

"Oh." The blush was for a whole new reason and Sixty dipped his chin shyly. "I'd like that very much." As if one challenge wasn't enough, Sixty pulled his helmet on and winced, immediately pulling it off, hand hovering over his throat. Of all the things he had anticipated, he forgot that the helmet would press exactly where the new piercings sat. Shit.

Allen smiled, happy to see Sixty cheering up again. That was a good sign. The helmet though...that was less good. "Oh shit. Are you not going to be able to wear your helmet?" Allen asked, a worried frown creasing his brows.

Sheepishly Sixty shook his head. He couldn't believe he had been so foolish and not thought things through, too caught up in the excitement of it all. "I can get Nines to pick me up." Because while he was many things, Sixty wasn't an idiot who would go riding without a helmet. Medical school had helped drill that into his head. "He can shove my bike in the back and give me a ride." At least, he hoped. Otherwise Sixty had no idea how he was going to get home, short of walking the bike along the pavement.


	66. Chapter 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys are back in town - the dumbass squad, that is!

Allen began wracking his brain as they stood there, looking at the bikes, trying to figure a way out of this. "Hold on a minute. I might be able to call in a favor with a truck." Allen said, pulling his phone out and opening his text messages. If they could load Sixty's bike into the truck and Allen drove next to it, they could easily make it back to Sixty's place.

Not comfortable with someone knowing where he lived, Sixty scuffed his shoes. "You trust the truck owner?" He didn't want to say outright that he was worried. If the person wasn't trusted, he would rather walk.

"With my life" Allen said with a wink, then hastily tried to reassure Sixty by saying "Don't worry, it's no one you don't already know. You'll see." The text came back that the truck would, in fact, be there in about ten minutes. Smiling, Allen said "Great. Ten minutes, not bad at all."

Ten minutes was also a lifetime if worried but kept in the dark about something as crucial as someone's identity. Sixty fretted, looking up and down the road, trying to guess who Allen could have called. The options were rather limited and Sixty couldn't think of anyone who would willingly come and help him out that Allen knew.

Allen didn't think much of it as they waited for the truck, oblivious to how nervous Sixty was. The ten minutes passed like a normal ten minutes for him, and suddenly the familiar beat up red pickup truck was coming into view. Brad helpfully honked the horn and waved out the window as he pulled up, calling out "Hey boss! Hey boss's boyfriend!" A puff of smoke escaped from the back window and Scott came into view, giving the both of them a smirk and a little wave.

The last time Sixty had seen those two, they had left with a sex toy in hand each after a quite successful training event. The time before that with the pizza was less of a fond memory. Overcome with a bout of uncertain shyness, Sixty waved, the other hand delicately covering his throat, fearing judgement. Or, even worse, assumptions because Allen had paid for it.

Allen rolled his eyes when he saw Scott waving out of the back of the truck. "Is this man bothering you?" He teased Brad, gesturing at Scott, who replied by flipping him the bird.

"Oh him? No, we were just hanging out when you texted me so I brought him along" Brad said with an easy shrug.

"Hanging out?" Allen asked with a raised eyebrow, and this time it was Brad's turn to roll his eyes and stick out his tongue. Scott though, had already gotten out of the car and was observing the bikes, flicking his cigarette butt onto the ground.

"Huh. Nice rides." He commented, "They don't match at all but they're pretty sick."

"I only ride nice things," Sixty announced cheerfully before realising just what he had said. Face falling he grimaced in apology at Allen with a wince. Hopefully the other two didn't have the twisted sense of humour that made them think of innuendo immediately. Though, what he knew of Scott, his hopes were in vain.

Scott let out a bark of laughter, snickering "You have better taste than I do" Mercifully, he didn't push it any further, looking over to Brad and waving him out of the truck. "Come on you big doof, help me lift this shit." Brad didn't even complain at the nickname, just cheerfully hopped out and got to work. Allen just smiled at his boyfriend, walking over to wrap an arm around his waist as they watched the other two load the bike onto the truck.

"See? Very safe." He reassured.

True enough. Those two already knew where Sixty lived and were trusted by Allen. However, something about them was making him frown. As quietly as he could, he turned to Allen. "Are they fucking?" He had thought there were other romances on the team but things definitely changed. As he spoke, his hand lowered from his throat, revealing the new piercings.

Allen snorted, replying "Is it that obvious?" It was a new thing, but so far it hadn't backfired so he was allowing it with the watchful eye of team captain. "Scott will fuck anyone, but Polly's a lesbian in a stable relationship and Marsha has standards. He just finally managed to get her to share Brad." He explained as the others loaded the bike with the occasional curse.

A soft 'huh' was all Sixty had to say to that. He knew Brad and Marsha had something going on and, thinking about it, it made sense that Scott was involved. From the corner of his eye, he watched the two. "I hope they're very happy in their arrangement."

“Yeah, me too.” Allen admitted. He had a soft spot for all of his team, and he knew they all meant well towards each other. It was just... “We’ll see how long it lasts” he said simply, and leaned up to press a kiss to Sixty’s cheek. From over by the truck, Scott and Brad had finished loading the bike and were approaching. It was only a matter of time before Brad spotted the obvious and asked “Oh shit, are those new?” as he pointed to Sixty’s piercings.

Torn between hiding the piercings from sight and proudly showing off, Sixty stalled with a small nod. "Couldn't get the helmet over them," he said by way of explanation. Then he remembered his manners. "Thank you for helping out." Silently, he wondered what the price of the help would be. Hopefully nothing too steep or emotionally taxing.

"They're cool." Brad said simply, with a bright smile, "And you're welcome! It wasn't a big deal." Scott was still investigating the piercings with a curious eye, eventually admitting "It's nice work. I've always thought about corset piercings but never bit the bullet."

"Yeah?" It was something to maybe find common ground on with Scott so Sixty seized it with both hands. "It hurts like a bitch on your neck. But worth it." His eyes slid to Allen with a smirk. It had been so very worth it for simply the look his boyfriend had given him upon seeing the piercings.

Allen couldn't help but smile back at Sixty, pleased that he was opening up and being a little more confident. That was a good sign. "Huh, worse than other piercings?" Scott asked, still curiously peering at them, "Looks damn good though, gotta agree." With an over-exaggerated wink at Allen he held his hands up and added "But don't worry, I won't say anything further. Not with your boyfriend right here."

Other piercings? Sixty had to resist the urge to look into his underwear to make sure he hadn't sprouted one he didn't know about. "I guess? These are my first." Unfortunately, he couldn't get the image of Scott with a ladder piercing down his shaft out of his head. Maybe he would have to talk to Allen to see if it was something he found attractive. It wasn't something Sixty was against getting done if his boyfriend got enjoyment out of it.

"Huh, guess I pegged you for the type to have more" Scott admitted with a shrug. Allen, who didn't want to give this a chance to get out of hand, joined the conversation with a "Behave. And let's get going, I didn't call you two so you could gawk at my boyfriend and his amazing new piercings. That's my job." Brad laughed, giving a mock salute and a "Roger that, boss!"

Figuring out who sat where was a whole new pit of snakes. Sixty didn't much like sitting in the back, too many reminders of his childhood. However, he knew that up front wasn't a good place for him either, not when he didn't know Brad all too well. Silently, he slunk to the back seat and buckled in.

Allen had meant to sit in the back with his boyfriend, but before he could make a move Scott was muscling his way in and plopping down next to Sixty. Which left Allen standing awkwardly there, not wanting to make a big deal out of this. So he took the loss and decided to slink to the front, sitting down and giving Brad a thumbs up once he was buckled in. "Off we go!" Brad exclaimed, turning the truck on with a roar, then adding awkwardly "Wait, where are we going?"

Having Scott sit next to him was another stressors. Sixty pulled himself up tight, trying to be small and easy to forget. "We're going to mine please," he murmured and cleared his throat, hating how timid he sounded all of a sudden. Hopefully Allen would give directions if needed, Sixty just wanted to stare out the window and be ignored.

"I'll give you directions" Allen filled in smoothly, hating how he could tell that Sixty was upset by something but unable to bring it up without point it out. Brad happily pulled out of the parking lot, following Allen's directions, oblivious as usual. Scott, unfortunately, picked up on the body language and vocal quality even without Allen's involvement. Casting a keen eye over at Sixty, he said bluntly "What's got your panties in a twist? You look like you're trying to melt into the seat."

Cornered, Sixty wasn't in the mood for a confrontation and he couldn't think of a good lie. He had a feeling it would only be scented out and peeled open anyway. "Not an easy passenger," he mumbled. Usually he was fine but with Connor and Kamski and everything else, memories were clamouring at the surface and difficult to tamp down.

Sixty was right, Scott could sniff out a bad lie from a mile away, and it only made him more interested. He tilted his head, clearly thinking and watching Sixty. "Carsick?" He asked curiously, poking at possible explanations.

"Something like that." Well, nothing like that at all but Sixty had no clue what else to say other than the truth. "Not enough distraction, too many memories." The last part was added quietly, barely audible.

"Memories, huh?" Scott said, clearly not going to give up on this one. He leaned back in his seat and relaxed a bit, spreading out. "We're gonna be stuck here for a bit as the world's most forgetful driver gets us to your apartment, so you might as well spit it out."

In a bad headspace, Sixty slipped into obedience, hating how he was being cornered into "spitting it out". He had no idea what would happen if he didn't and he didn't want to try either. "Elijah." He bowed his head and stared at his hands clenched together. "Sitting in the back, being ignored was punishment. Only winners sat up front. Losers were lucky to be allowed in the car."

Okay so maybe this wasn't quite what Scott had been aiming for when he had started prodding. Maybe an embarrassing secret or something, but not...whatever this was. Eyes narrowing, he pulled out a cigarette and started fumbling for his lighter. "Sounds like a dick." He commented easily, "We're all a bunch of losers here, but I'd kick Brad's ass if he didn't let me in the car."

"Even if you were 14 and he was 27?" Sixty asked bitterly. Even now, he wasn't certain he could stand up to Elijah. It was ridiculous and shameful and it made Sixty bite his lips.

"Ah. Daddy issues." Scott said simply, lighting the cigarette and taking a long drag. "Fathers are useless, in my experience."

That drew a scoff from Sixty. 'Daddy issues' didn't exactly cover it but it wasn't a dick measuring contest. "He never was and never will be my father. Or family," he spat vehemently. "Though I'm sorry your father was useless."

Scott's one eyebrow raised up as Sixty got vehement about this. He had clearly hit a sore spot. "I mean you don't have to be sorry for me" He chuckled, blowing smoke out the open window, "Never met the fucker, so I'm really making baseless accusations here." "Seems like you have a bit of a grudge about yours. He still bother you?"

A bit of a grudge. Scott really had a knack for understanding the obvious. However, it did hit the nail on the head and Sixty looked up at him with wide eyes. "Why else do you think my address would be on the protected list?" He hoped it would be answer enough. If Scott pressed, he might end up with the whole ugly truth without any preparation or warning.

The pieces somewhat fell into place all of a sudden. Scott may be a layabout and a bit of a sex hound, but he wasn't stupid. He took another contemplative drag on his cigarette, meeting Sixty's gaze with steady eyes. "So he's that kind of a bastard, huh?" He said slowly, "He still giving you trouble?"

A glance towards Allen in the front was useless. Sixty found that he didn't know how to respond so he gave a small nod filled with shame. He hated admitting weakness, that he wasn't as competent and perfect as he wanted to appear. "It's why we had today," he admitted softly. "To take our minds off everything that has been going on." An automatic 'I'm sorry' followed it up because he was sorry for bringing so much trouble to Allen and now sharing with the team too.

Allen was very busy trying to make sure Brad didn't get on the highway and take them into the next town to notice that Sixty was spilling his heart out in the back seat. It was a problem. Scott nodded slowly. He ignored the apology as if it hadn't happened. Then he asked, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "What can the team do for you?"

Almost as a joke, Sixty bit out, "can you arrest or kill Elijah Kamski?" and immediately regretted it. He didn't expect Scott to offer help like that and instinctively tried to make a bit of a joke out of it. Except it backfired because it didn't sound like a joke at all.

That actually got Scott’s composure to break into surprise for a minute, recognizing the name and trying to put even more of the puzzle together. After a few moments though he shrugged, replying “I mean I feel like we’d get in trouble for murder but an arrest would look great on our record.” Allen, meanwhile, finally cottoned on to the conversation in the back and turned with a concerned frown, asking “Sixty? You alright?”

At the question Sixty looked down guiltily. He'd said too much, broken the last vestiges of the illusion that he was just an asshole boyfriend rather than a big bundle of baggage for Allen. After everything Allen had done, this was how Sixty repaid him. By rolling out the 'poor, sad childhood' act and embarrassing his boyfriend. "Sorry," he squeaked, feeling a little dizzy with panic. "Was just making a joke in bad taste. I'll stop."

He’d certainly changed Scott’s opinion of him, not that the man would ever admit it. “You didn’t tell me you had a stalker problem, boss. Why not get us on the job?” He interrupted bluntly, focus shifting to Allen. Allen’s eyebrows shot up at that, totally blown away by the fact that Sixty was talking so openly about his problems. And to Scott, no less. He reached back to set a hand on Sixty’s knee as best he could, saying “I didn’t want to violate Sixty’s privacy. It’s his decision if he wants the team involved.”

Learned helplessness was a bit of a bitch. Sixty let out a humourless laugh. "Unless you want your whole life destroyed in an underhanded way, I would suggest not getting involved." Having Allen be his boyfriend was already risky enough. "You'll never find a court he can't pay off to find him not guilty. Then he'll come after you and your loved ones." Which wasn't to say Sixty wouldn't have loved to have someone in his corner fighting with him. It was that he couldn't justify asking that of anyone. Not when he already knew the outcome.

Scott was the one to snort then, retorting "Thanks for the concern for my nonexistent 'loved ones'". He even put the sarcastic air quotes around the phrase to show just how much he thought it was stupid. "Look if you think we're not gonna get involved you're stupider than you look" Scott said bluntly, "We're Allen's team. We look after each other."

Allen groaned, wishing this conversation were happening anywhere else. "Can we not do this in the car?" He asked, as Brad took a turn with a whoop and he jolted against his seatbelt.

"You really want to see Brad's name get dragged through the mud? Marsha to be reassigned to a team that won't look out for her? Allen to be fired?" Sixty was seething a little at his concern not being taken seriously. "That's how he works. Tears people apart, isolates them, turns the world against them. You sure you want to get involved?" As much as Sixty wanted help, he couldn't ask for it. Couldn't expect anyone to risk and sacrifice so much just for his sake. Not even Allen should do that. It was why he had offered so many opportunities to break up. Because once word got out that Allen was connected to Sixty, it would be the end of their little bubble of bliss.

Scott was quickly losing interest, rolling his eyes and settling his cigarette back between his lips. "Oh I'm soooo scared" He muttered, "Jesus, calm it down with the martyr act." He wasn't exactly the most tactful person, and being argued with when he was offering help immediately set him off. Scott didn't  _ do _ touchy feely emotions or caring. He looked out for his team, for his boss, and he knew the rest of the team would do the same. But anything more and he was just bored and annoyed.

"Both of you stop" Allen said firmly, "No more of this argument. It's pointless and this is not the right time." They were almost to Sixty's apartment, and then they could all sit down properly to deal with this problem.

Mouth snapping shut, Sixty looked out the window, trying to calm his seething emotions. Why couldn't Scott see he was trying to be up front and honest about what would happen? It was nothing to do with being a martyr, Sixty was just being a realist. Silence was the best option so he didn't say anything that would upset Allen. They had been having such a nice day, it shouldn't be ruined by something as simple as Scott.

Thankfully, mercifully, it wasn’t more than a few minutes before they pulled up in front of Sixty’s apartment. Scott continued to silently smoke, seemingly done arguing, and Brad cheerfully announced “We’re here!” Allen got out of the car and walked over to where Sixty would be getting out, wanting to make sure he was okay. He honestly had no idea what to do or say here, but he knew they were on the verge of a huge fight and possible breakdown yet again.

A little frightened by what was to come, Sixty scrambled to get out of the truck, eager for some fresh air. He almost smacked into Allen who stood there, seemingly waiting for him. "Sorry," he muttered, skittishly stepping away. It definitely wasn't good, the way his emotions were flopping all over the place. Anger and fear warring in his chest and leaving him almost dizzy with it.

Allen immediately folded Sixty up in his arms, pulling him close so his boyfriend could hopefully feel the fact that he wasn't angry or upset or anything. "Hey. It's okay. What do you need?" Allen asked quietly, pitching his voice so it was just for Sixty.

Really, Sixty had no idea what he needed. Well, not a realistic idea anyway. "I just want him to go away." To his absolute mortification, he was tearing up because he felt the safest in his boyfriend's arms. He trusted Allen, could be vulnerable with him. "I just want to have my life as my own, without the fear of being found and destroyed. Again." They were in full public view and Sixty was getting weepy. It was dangerous and also humiliating. But Allen had him, was offering the sanctuary of his arms and Sixty could only be a weed in a storm for so long.

For a hot second Allen thought Sixty was referring to Scott. While, admittedly, it would be easy to get rid of him right now, it would point to some troublingly childish habits on his boyfriends part. Once Allen’s brain caught up with what was actually happening, he squeezed Sixty a little tighter. “I know. And I want to give that to you, but it might take a little while” he murmured, “For now, do you want to go inside while we let Brad and Scott unload the bikes?”

A sniffly nod was Sixty's reply and he pulled away, wiping at his eyes. Not looking up, he walked up to the door and opened it, leaving it so the others could walk in and out as they pleased. "Will the others want tea?" He asked, trying to remember how to be a good host. It was easier to get busy with making drinks than to worry about the larger issues in his life.

Allen followed Sixty, knowing the others would do what needed to be done before following him. They were good guys that way. "They don't have to stay if you don't want them to" Allen offered, "But if you want to offer them tea I'm sure Brad at least will be delighted." He'd probably want to know all about what kinds of tea Sixty had, to boot.

"They helped, it's only polite," Sixty said, trying to pull himself together. Though all he was succeeding in doing was bundling all emotions into a small ball to deal with later. He pulled four mugs down and started rummaging through the modest tea selection. In the end, he put them all on the counter so Brad and Scott could choose their own while the kettle boiled.

Allen could tell that Sixty was just bottling up his emotions, but he didn't want to push him. Not now, when there were other people around. He'd figure this out later, after the other two were gone and it was just the two of them alone. Safe. "I'm here if you need anything" Allen reassured softly, walking over to lean up on his tip-toes and press a kiss to Sixty's cheek. It wasn't too long after that that Brad and Scott made their way into the apartment, Brad announcing "We got the bikes unloaded!"

It was time to pull himself together so Sixty turned with a smile. "Thank you so much." Forced cheer and bluster he could do. "For your daring rescue, can I treat you to some tea? I might even have some biscuits to go with it."

Brad could definitely tell something was off, but he wasn't the type to call for emotional maturity and open honesty. No, instead he just joined Sixty in pretending nothing was wrong. "Sure! What kind do you have?" He asked, shooting Sixty a grin. Scott, meanwhile, sidled in after flicking his cigarette butt somewhere outside, and shot Allen a dark look. He clearly didn't want to stick around, but wasn't going to risk getting in trouble with Allen. "I'll pass" He said simply.

Showing off the meagre selection to Brad was easy enough. Sixty made himself a cup of tea too, desperate to try anything that would soothe his nerves. "Sit, sit," Sixty urged. "You're allowed to get comfortable." His words and attitude were betrayed by how he clutched the mug to his chest, fingers tight around it. As much as he tried to mask his true feelings, he couldn't do it perfectly.

Brad easily flopped down onto the sofa, and Scott perched on the arm of the sofa next to him, using one broad shoulder as an elbow rest. Brad didn't seem to mind. Allen, meanwhile, sat between Brad and Sixty, making sure that his boyfriend felt as safe as possible. "You've got a nice apartment" Brad commented, looking around politely.

The apartment was nice. Yes. Sixty liked it, would even go as far as saying he felt quite at home in it. He didn't want to move. Not again. The thought came up unbidden and he had to chase it away before the others realised his face had fallen and that he wasn't as cheery as he was trying to pretend to be. "Thanks." Oddly, Sixty had assumed that because Scott had been there before, he would have filled the team in on the details. "Though I might be moving soon. So if you know anyone in the market for a place like this-" he trailed off.

The mention of Sixty moving had Scott raising an eyebrow and shooting him a pointed look. "Moving, huh? Sounds like a pain in the ass." He said bluntly.

Allen groaned, really not ready for these two to start fighting. "It's unfortunate, yes. But it's not your business." He chastised, shooting the red head an answering look.

"It is," Sixty agreed, trying to keep up the chipper attitude. "Though when it happens, I would appreciate it if you ask me for my new address rather than look it up if you want it please." It was a sort of olive branch. If the team wanted to stay in touch, he could give them his new address. That way, Sixty felt he had a bit more control over his own life and his privacy wasn't violated. The next breath he took had a bit of a shudder to it and he shivered even though it wasn't cold. It was the emotional strain of keeping everything together warring with the underlying panic he had been battling since the whole Elijah thing started.

"Sorry about that" Brad offered, a little embarrassed, "We would have texted but nobody had your number. And your address was really hard to find."

"Yeah, imagine that" Scott drawled, putting the pressure back on, "A shame, really."

In the grand scheme of things, Sixty didn't quite understand Scott's comment and he frowned in confusion. "I don't get it. What do you mean?" he asked innocently. It was blatantly obvious he was a person non grata in Scott's eyes. But Sixty was too tired to play mind games, especially with someone who so blatantly wasn't eager to spend time with him. He had a lifetime of that and had no interest in indulging in more.

"Your address is hard to find because you're hiding from someone. Someone the team could probably help you with." Scott said bluntly, "If you could stop avoiding the topic for two seconds." He wasn't going to drop this, not even after that disaster in the car. It was a matter of pride almost now.

"I already told you it is Elijah fucking Kamsku!" Sixty bit out and immediately regretted it, head whipping around as if just saying the name loud would summon him. "You can't get near him. He is untouchable."

"What, so you're just gonna run away forever? Like some kind of coward?" Scott snapped back, "And refuse any offer of help?" Allen bristled, caught in the middle of this argument as his boyfriend and his team (well, his second in command) got into it. "Obviously we're not just going to do nothing about this. But it has to be done carefully and slowly." He retorted, "And it's Sixty's life, at the end of the day"

Running had been Sixty's only option. Run, hide, cower and hope he was insignificant enough that Kamski would leave him alone. With the recent twist of events, it was unlikely that he could keep hiding as he has been and moving while keeping a low profile was the next step. "I don't know what can be done." He knew he should he snapping, growling and posturing at Scott for the insult. But Sixty was so tired and he couldn't keep up the facade, not when Allen was there and on his side. "I have no proof. My word against the great Elijah Kamski's. It's not a contest, he is beloved by all. And that's before he bribes the whole judicial system." Sixty looked down at his lap where his fingers were nervously twisting together. "Not only would I look like a fool, he would then strip me of everything I have."

Scott settled back into his spot on the sofa, pacified by the honesty, finally. He was a horrible bastard about finding the truth when he wanted it, but once he got it he could act a little more maturely. Brad, who hadn't really spoken up before this, said quietly "That sounds really awful. I'm sorry." It was simple, but it was clearly heartfelt. "It's a bad situation." Allen said firmly, his hand landing softly on Sixty's thigh for reassurance, "I don't think it's an impossible situation, but it's not simple and it's not something to rush into. But it's not just you against him. It's you, your brothers, and all the people who care about you."

"And I cannot pull my brothers or you into this." That exhausted the list of people who cared for Sixty. "Hence, you know, moving," Sixty shrugged, trying to play it off. If it came to it, he would break all ties with them all to keep them safe. Not what he wanted but if it meant the others got to live in safety, he would do it. There was nothing more he could think of to say on the matter. All Sixty wanted was to curl up somewhere and stop thinking. He could feel himself approaching the brink of another episode but couldn't let go, not around Brad and Scott. Or Allen. If they could all just leave him be to check out of the world for a bit, it would have been easier.

Now that was absolutely stupid of Sixty to say, but Allen wasn’t about to get into an argument with him right now. Not now, and not in front of the team. But he and Sixty’s brothers and their boyfriends (fiancé, one of them) would have strong words to say about Sixty insisting he couldn’t drag them into this. As if hey weren’t already in it. “I think that’s enough for today.” Allen decided firmly, sensing that Sixty was on the verge of too much. “Would you two mind heading home? We appreciate the help, really.” He said, patting Brad on the shoulder and shooting him a reassuring smile. Used to following orders, the two men stood up, and Brad put his cup back on the counter. “Thanks for the tea” he said dutifully, “that blend was nice.”

"I'll send you a box," Sixty replied absently, that was the polite thing to say. Or at least, he thought he was. "And thank you for the help." He sagged a little against Allen in relief. The other two were going, he wasn't going to have to try and be civil or even talk if he couldn't.

As the other two bundled out, Allen gave them a wave and a smile, knowing he was in for an interrogation tomorrow at work. Because there was no way they weren’t already texting the rest of the team about this. It was going to be a mess. But for now, he had a different concern. Wrapping his arms around Sixty, Allen scooted him onto his lap, holding him close. “What can I do to help you feel better?” He murmured.

Silently, Sixty shook his head. He had no idea, in the past his brothers would just let him get on with his moments and would be there to pick up the pieces afterwards. Not sure what to do, he reached for Allen, wanting the comfort of his boyfriend more than anything else.

Allen bundled Sixty against his chest, holding him close. If he didn’t have any special requests, then Allen would just do his best. “That’s alright. We’ll just sit here together for a little while then” he said gently.

For a minute nothing seemed to happen. Sixty was curled up against Allen's chest, mind whirring away with everything that had happened. It was like so many other times he got overwhelmed except there was one difference. Before, nobody had held him. His brother would sit with him from time to time but it wasn't the same. The full body contact before everything fell away in an overwhelmed mess grounded Sixty. He wasn't even aware of the tears until his breathing hitched into a sob. "I'm sorry," he whimpered as he cried harder. There was so much he was sorry for.

“Shhhhh” Allen soothed softly, rocking Sixty as the tears finally started, “it’s okay.” He didn’t even want to know everything his boyfriend was trying to apologize for. That was neither here nor there. What he could focus on was making sure Sixty knew he wasn’t alone, and that Allen wasn’t going anywhere.

Small, high pitched sobs squeezed from behind Sixty's clenched teeth. He had never cried like that before and felt ill with it. Blindly, he clutched at Allen's shirt and held on, unable to stop as everything tipped into overwhelming. Not just the stress of Connor's almost relapse, of the fear of Kamski and everything that heralded but also the good. The fact Allen was still there, had treated him to the piercings he had been coveting for so long, the help the SWAT team were so naively offering. It was all too much and Sixty didn't have the capacity to deal with all the emotions. So he cried until he was exhausted, his head ached, his throat felt raw. Sniffling, he sagged against Allen, eyes shut and face wet.

Allen's own heart twisted in his chest as Sixty sobbed like that and clung to him. He wished he could do something to help him, wished he could offer some words of comfort, but it all seemed a little futile. Especially since he didn't even know exactly what his boyfriend was crying over. As Sixty started to calm down, Allen rubbed soothing circles into his back. "There you go. Got it all out?" He murmured, "It's good to cry sometimes."

There wasn't much good about crying, Sixty thought to himself, not when his head was pounding, he felt disgusting with snot and tears, and he was sure he looked a grotesque mess. However, he nodded silently, trying to get his breathing fully back under control. "I'm sorry," he repeated, voice hoarse. Though, despite how shit he felt, Sixty was surprised he hadn't ended up sliding into another episode. Small mercies and all that.

“Let’s get you some tissues and some water” Allen decided, because those were the most easy fixes he could think of, “And do you need any pills to help with the piercings or are you feeling okay?” He looked at them a bit wistfully, admiring what might have been had they not been waylaid by this whole thing with the squad. But at the end of the day the person behind the piercings was more important than any amount of sexual satisfaction or fooling around.

"Please," Sixty nodded. He was content to let Allen think it was just the piercings that were giving him pain, to admit that something as stupid as crying wiped him out was a little too much. Even worse, his usual coping strategy really didn't appeal. Sixty couldn't even imagine getting hard and coming to distract himself. It was miserable and he had no idea how other people coped like this. Though, he did see Allen's eyes lingering on his throat. Maybe he could make the effort, try and redeem himself a little. If Allen took him from behind, he wouldn’t have to see Sixty's tear stained cheeks.

"Okay, can you wait for me here on the sofa? I'll be right back, I promise." Allen murmured, not wanting to just dump Sixty off his lap when he was feeling so vulnerable. Glancing around, he grabbed a blanket near the end of the sofa and pulled it over, intending to bundle his boyfriend up in it while he went and got the appropriate supplies.

As if Sixty was going anywhere. Not when he felt like such utter shit. He greedily took the blanket and burrowed into it, thankful for the way it seemed to become a barrier between him and the world. "Get yourself a snack," he called after Allen. "You need to eat." Because even if he couldn't look after himself, Sixty could damn well try to take care of others.

"Why don't I get us both a snack?" Allen said agreeably, appreciating the reminder but wanting to make sure they were both taken care of. It took him a few trips but eventually he had water, tissues, pain pills, and a snack for both of them gathered on the coffee table. He settled back down on the couch with a satisfied sigh, holding out the water and pills. "Here, drink up." Allen ordered gently.

Orders were something Sixty could follow, had done for much of his life. It was easy to do as someone told him to. The pills went down easily with the water and he held the empty glass in both hands. "I'm sorry for being so broken," he managed to say in the end. "I wish I could be better for you."

Allen watched carefully as Sixty took the pills, holding out some tissues when he was done. Having a sniffy, snotty nose after a hard cry was no fun. Hearing Sixty apologize for this again made Allen want to scream, but he didn't. He knew it was hard for his boyfriend to break a lifetime of trauma, but it was frustrating and heartbreaking every time.

"You're not broken." He said as firmly but gently as possible, "You're not less of a person just because you're dealing with stuff, Sixty."

"But anyone else would be dealing with it better. Scott seems to think so anyway." It was meant to come out as bitchy but Sixty ended up sounding defeated and tired. "Sorry. You deserve better. It's not like there's anything we can do anyway. Keep our heads down and hope for the best, right?" Deep down, Sixty wished there was something that could be done. But from an early age he learned that Elijah was all powerful and impossible to challenge. He didn't even know what could be done.

Allen rolled his eyes. "Look, Scott is his own ball of problems. He just thinks that because he acknowledges the fact that he gets blackout drunk and sleeps around and 'doesn't care' that he's dealing with things. Which, you know, isn't true." he explained, "Try not to let him get to you." When Sixty tried to get him to agree, Allen hummed thoughtfully. "Look I...don't want to upset you, and we should talk about this later when you feel better, but I don't quite agree. I don't think you should have to run your whole life."

Which meant that maybe Allen thought there was hope. A way to win against Kamski - something Sixty hadn't even dared dream was possible. "Okay," he agreed meekly. "I trust you to know what's best." Because an outsider's perspective was sometimes more useful than that of someone living through the situation.

"I don't know what's best," Allen said, reaching out to gently cup Sixty's cheek, running his thumb across soft skin. "I just know I want to fight for you. So that you can live your life without all this fear and doubt hanging over you. And I think that's worth looking into."

If Allen believed it then Sixty would try as well. Even though he had so much to lose and was terrified. "As long as my brothers agree," he said, tilting his face into Allen's hand. It was so strange to have someone there through thick and thin, to know Allen wasn't going anywhere. Slowly, Sixty reached out, wanting to feel close to his boyfriend and maybe his actions could express what he felt better than words ever could.

"That's something we can talk about later." Allen said, already dreading the inevitable fallout from Connor, "But I want you to know I'll do whatever it takes. Whatever I can give, I'll give" He gave Sixty the best reassuring smile he could muster, and when his boyfriend reached out he gladly welcomed the touch. A cuddle would do them both good.

"Just don't give too much. Please. It's not worth it." Sixty didn't want to go into this, only to lose what little he had managed to hoard for himself. "Maybe talk to the others tomorrow evening?"

"You're worth it," Allen reiterated, still horrified that Sixty's self-worth was so low. He leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together for comfort, taking a moment to just sit and enjoy the closeness. "Yeah, sounds good. Not too soon but not too far out."


	67. Chapter 67

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The family gathers, and a plan is hatched.

The rest of the day was much more subdued than Sixty would have hoped for. However, they got through the day and even managed to set up a meeting for all six of them the next day. It was something Sixty was sort of dreading but not for the obvious reasons. He had given Nines a heads up about his piercings but had no idea how to tell Connor. So he was left fidgeting nervously on his sofa, waiting for everyone to turn up.

Allen was, quite frankly, scared to death of this meeting. And he was the one who had called it! But given how poorly the last one had gone, he was worried this would cause more huge blowouts and meltdowns. Something had to be done though. He couldn’t just sit back and watch his boyfriend suffer like this in silence, accepting that his life was just going to be ruined forever. No. Allen was going to do his damndest to fix this. Having texted Gavin and Hank and told them a little bit about why he wanted to see them all, he went and sat on the sofa, wrapping an arm around Sixty. “You okay?” He asked.

"Not really." Sixty shook his head. "But that's seemingly the norm for me." He pressed into Allen's body, relishing the warmth and support. While Sixty didn't feel hopeful that anything would change, the care Allen was showing was nice. The doorbell rang and Sixty sighed. "Let's get the show on the road."

Allen just leaned in and pressed a kiss to Sixty's cheek, reassuring him "Well I'm here with you, so we'll get through the not okay together." When the door rang he got up to answer it, revealing (thankfully) Nines and Gavin. Gavin looked less panicked than last time, and much more stern and determined. He greeted Allen with a firm handshake and hug, then followed his fiance in.

The call for a family gathering has surprised Nines, he was anxiously wondering whether there had been any new development about Kamski. He hoped everyone was safe. Greeting Sixty on the sofa, Nines' eyes strayed to the piercings and raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "New jewellery doesn't warrant a family meeting you know." Because it was easier to tease than face anything more sinister. "I'll take photos as Connor spots them. They will be perfect reaction images" Sixty snickered and gave Nines' hip a shove so they could both curl up with their respective boyfriends.

Gavin had done a lot of work on himself and talking with his therapist since their last impromptu meeting about Kamski. He didn’t want to melt down when Nines needed him most, but he also needed to process his own betrayal and guilt. It was a process, but he and Nines were getting there together, and at least this time when he stepped into the meeting he didn’t feel like he was going to puke. “Sick Piercings” Gavin commented as they sat down on the sofa, genuinely pretty impressed, “I’ve always thought about getting corset stuff done but it seemed too dainty for me.” He settled next to Nines and instinctively leaned into him, wrapping an arm around him in an unconscious mirror of Allen next to Sixty.

It felt better to have his family starting to gather and Sixty could relax a little. If they were there, it meant Elijah hadn't gotten to them yet. "There's nothing dainty feeling about them, trust me," Sixty told Gavin, hands gliding over his piercings. They weren't hurting as bad as the day before but were still sore. Pressing bodily into Allen, Sixty sighed. In typical Connor fashion, he was not quite late but cutting it close. "How are you two faring?" He ended up asking Nines and Gavin.

Gavin gave an approving nod, giving the piercings one last appraising look before politely averting his eyes. It wasn’t cool to ogle someone’s piercings or tattoos, especially if they were your fiancé’s brother and friend’s boyfriend. “I mean...better. I’ve been working on some stuff, but we’ve both been feeling a lot more stable I think.” Gavin said, squeezing Nines close for a moment and looking up at him to encourage him to share his thoughts.

"We're getting there," Nines filled in and looked down at Gavin with love. "Not perfect by any means but we have each other and those around us. We have hope and a goal to work towards." When put like that, Sixty couldn't bring himself to make a joke of it. Instead he hummed and was grateful when the doorbell went again. He got up to let Hank and Connor in. Nines trailed after him, phone in hand and ready to document the reaction to the piercings.

Allen was relieved and almost a little jealous of how steady and calm Nines and Gavin's relationship seemed to be. They'd had longer to figure things out, he supposed. He reached over and patted Gavin on the shoulder in congratulations as Nines got up and headed to the door. Outside, Hank was mentally preparing himself. This sort of thing never went well, so he had to be ready to support Connor and make sure things didn't devolve into a shouting match like last time. He shot his boyfriend an encouraging smile as the door opened, squeezing his hand.

Stepping into the flat, Connor wanted to greet Sixty but he froze, words caught in his throat as he spotted the piercings. Like a good little brother, Nines took photos while snickering at the shock, disbelief, outrage and resigned acceptance that flitted over Connor's face. "Doesn't that hurt?" Connor finally managed to bite out. "Like a bitch but it is so worth it." There was only pride in Sixty's voice and he tipped his head up to show the piercings off a little more. Maybe Hank would appreciate them a little more.

Hank didn’t know why Sixty seemed so eager to bait out Connor’s anger, but he really seemed interested in doing it at the most inopportune times. Maybe he just didn’t understand the sibling dynamics. But this seemed like a great way to start their meeting off on the wrong foot. Instead of saying any of that, Hank simply wrapped an arm around Connor’s waist to hold him closer, and smiled at Sixty. They were nice piercings, that much was for sure. “If Allen doesn’t have matching ones I’m going to be disappointed.” He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Get ready for disappointment. These aren't engagement piercings. I'd want a ring for that." The quip from Sixty had Connor and Nines stare at him which made Sixty flush bright red. "I mean-" "A cock ring," Nines cut in, saving the awkward moment. "Engagement cock ring and a wedding cock cage. We all know sex stops with marriage." "Why are you getting married then?" Connor shot back. Just like that, the tension was gone. He still eyed Sixty's piercings with disapproval but didn't bitch about them.

Allen was, luckily, too far out of range to hear all of this talk of weddings, or he might have started sweating. He loved Sixty, but marriage was a whole new step he hadn’t quite worked out in his head. At least not while things still were this way with Kamski. Allen and Gavin were, instead, having a conversation about wether having a bike with an outrageously loud muffler was a good thing, or a way to advertise that you had a tiny dick. It was an old argument, but it was familiar in a way they both needed in order to relax right now. Hank, seeing a chance to get in the house, said “Can we come in and congratulate Gavin on his upcoming sexless marriage?”

Sixty stood aside to let them in, feeling a bit silly for not doing so sooner. He trailed after the others, Nines out front and hollering. "Gavin! We shall stop having sex after the wedding! We've got to make this marriage a cliche!" He bundled back into the sofa with Gavin on it, cuddling up to his fiance with almost grace. A little more sedate, Sixty settled next to Allen with a small grin. The armchair and another chair had been left open for Hank and Connor to use.

Gavin looked up at his fiancé and laughed, retorting “Wait, I thought premarital sex was the sin, not the other way around!” He happily bundled Nines back into his arms on the sofa, as Allen wrapped a much more sensible arm just around his waist. Hank let Connor pick which seat he wanted and then settled into the other, reaching out and making sure he was still holding his boyfriend’s hand. Sensing that he couldn’t put this off for much longer, Allen cleared his throat and said “Well. I suppose this is my show to run, since I set it up. Do any of you know what I wanted to talk about today?”

"I do," Sixty piped up and Connor rolled his eyes. "But the others don't. I didn't dare put it in writing." That put a dampener on the jovial mood and Nines sat up sharply. While he and Gavin had been working hard on getting through the emotional turmoil, it still wasn't what couldn't be considered a glowing success. Even Connor stopped with his theatrical grumblings, growing tense and squeezing Hank's hand.

Allen really hated the way the atmosphere in the room changed, but he had to do this. His shoulders settled and his SWAT captain training kicked in, voice smooth and calm. "We need to talk about the Elijah Kamski situation. See if there's anything that can be done, because I think I speak for all of us here when I say that no one should have to suffer any more the way you three have."

Unexpectedly, it was Connor who recovered from the shock first. He let out an ugly laugh. "SWAT is taking assassination requests on the side?" Nines rolled his eyes and tried for a more mature approach. "We are doing everything we can to stay out of his way. What are you suggesting we do?"

Allen should have known that Connor wouldn't take this seriously, but he simply ignored him in favor of turning to look at Nines. "That's why I gathered us all here, to brainstorm. Running and hiding is making you all miserable, and I don't think we should stand for it any more." He said simply. Hank was frowning in thought, but finally said "What you're proposing is risky as fuck, Allen. But I have to admit I'm more a fan of it than of having to move or something else drastic."

It was risky as fuck, Sixty knew that, hell, everyone in the room knew that. "I'm only a coroner so I don't exactly know how these things go. But from a legal perspective, what could we do and what would the consequences be?" Connor had fallen quiet, fear engulfing him as their reality was being laid bare. It had been so much easier to pretend everything was alright. He watched the other two curled against their boyfriends and wished he could lean against Hank.

Hank was frowning as he thought, but he still had the foresight to reach out and make sure that Connor's hand was firmly clasped in both of his. He needed to make sure his boyfriend knew he was there for him. "We'd have to build a solid case, using evidence and not just testimony" Hank warned, and Allen nodded in agreement. "Although if we could hunt down previous contacts who would be willing to testify, that might help"

"Amanda." Connor's voice was tight as he all but whispered the name. "She knew." "Doubt she'd testify," Sixty added and Nines nodded along. "Carl Manfred might. They had a bit of a falling out."

Allen had actually brought a physical pad of paper to take notes on, and he wrote those names down while nodding slowly. This was good, the more they could gather the better. Gavin, who had been quiet all this time, chimed in with a soft "If we need character witnesses, could we find ex business partners? He was always talking about these incompetent assholes he'd worked with before."

"Kara and Luther," Connor suggested with a nod. "If they'll talk to us. They've had to move to Canada last I heard." The far reaching damage Kamski bad wrought was dawning on them all. They had been so caught up in keeping themselves safe and away from Kamski, they never saw the full picture until now. The names kept coming, between the three brothers they managed to amass quite the impressive list.

Allen just kept nodding and carefully writing down names, listening to the list of people who'd been harmed by this man with a slow sense of dread. This wasn't just a family matter. It was a case of a truly monstrous personality. "Thank you for thinking of all these." Allen finally said when they were done, "I can't imagine it's easy or enjoyable to think back on your past with him, but this is a really good place to start building our case."

It wasn't easy at all. The three brothers could each feel their own brand of panic rising fast but dealing with it was a different matter. Nines pressed into Gavin, knowing that if things went wrong, they would always have each other. Meanwhile, Connor was thinking about plans to run, where he could hide and start over again. He didn't want to but with so many people hurt and nothing done about it, the chances of them achieving anything were next to nothing. Next to Allen, Sixty was unnaturally still, trying to push everything down so he could help. "We have names. But what now? There's no evidence." Their word against Kamski's was never going to be enough.

Allen could tell that now was a good time to stop. So he answered the question with a simple yet honest answer. “Now we collect evidence. These people will be our first points of contact, as we start to build the case. And until we know we have enough, we won’t even make any public moves. We can always back out.” He reached out and set a hand on Sixty’s leg, gently squeezing it in comfort. “But for today, I think we’re done. Thank you all again.” He repeated. Gavin had wrapped his arms around Nines, holding him close and doing his best to comfort him. Just from body language he could tell how upset his fiancé was, and he wished there was more he could do. Hank, on the other hand, was holding Connor’s hand and patting it gently, reminding him that he wasn’t alone, and wasn’t going anywhere.

Somehow Allen made everything sound so easy. Though the question of just exactly who was going to be gathering evidence was still unanswered. Sixty wasn't qualified for any kind of information gathering but the other two were used to asking questions and interrogating. It felt wrong to lump them with all the work though. Hearing the words for the dismissal they were, Connor shot out of his seat. "Well, I need to get going. This has been most enlightening. But I must dash." He had no idea where he was going, all he knew was that he needed an out.

Allen thought the fact that he was going to be doing this information collecting was obvious, so he hadn't mentioned it. Of course he'd never put any of the brothers under that kind of stress. But he had failed to mention that, and probably wouldn't unless prompted. He'd just quietly go and do the work. Hank stood up more slowly, not about to let Connor run off alone. "Thanks for having us. We'll keep in touch" He said, nodding to Allen, who gave him a little wave and a nod in return.


	68. Chapter 68

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With Connor and Hank out of the picture, the remaining four share some bonding time, which results in surprising levity.
> 
> To follow Connor and Hank's story where it diverges here, head to [Chapter 17 of It's You Not Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533166/chapters/69562428)

Sometimes it was easier to let Connor go and work his thoughts out. Especially now that he had Hank. It only felt a little like passing the buck but Sixty already had enough shit to deal with. Once Connor and Hank were gone, he looked between the remaining three. "How do we split this then? I don't exactly have the resources or skills to find and talk to people."

Allen was taken aback by Sixty’s question, replying quickly “Oh I’ll handle it. It’s okay, I don’t want any of you to have to go through any extra worry by being involved. And I’m pretty good at tracking people down.”

"Is that not an illegal use of resources?" Nines cut in. He wasn't comfortable with the idea if going against Kamski but he didn't really see any other viable option. Sixty was white surprised too. He didn't think this should all fall to Allen. It was more work than one man could do. Which left one other option. "Will the rest of your team get involved too?" They already knew some of the facts but Sixty didn't know if he was ready for them to know the full extent of his childhood.

Allen shook his head, admitting “I had planned to do it off work hours as a side project. I don’t want to jeopardize the case or draw attention to myself, so I had planned to just do research and make calls as a private person.” When Sixty questioned him about the team, Allen hesitated. “I didn’t plan on it, since this is a private matter and you seemed quite opposed to the idea before.” If it was just him then yeah, the team would be in on it from day one. But this wasn’t about him, it was about Sixty. “Don’t martyr yourself for this. I’ll pitch in” Gavin chimed in, shaking his head somewhat fondly at his friend. He knew how dedicated Allen could be, often at the cost of his own health.

It was Nines who finally chipped in with a shake of his head. "This is too big for just us. And if we want to succeed, we need as many people on our side as possible." It was a terrifying prospect but if they were doing this, they were not going to half-arse it. "If there are people on your team who are willing to help and be discreet, I think we need their help." Sixty's mind immediately went to Scott. He was going to be either mad or gloating and Sixty had no idea which one was going to be worse.

Allen was both surprised and not when Nines chimed in as the voice of reason. He was the most reasonable, after all. But not so reasonable that he hadn't agreed to marry Gavin. "Is that going to be alright with all of you?" Allen asked, glancing at Sixty and adding "The last thing I want is to hurt any of you. Or have Connor at my throat again." Maybe that was too honest, but he couldn't help himself.

There wasn't really much of a risk of Connor getting up against Allen. Not after having been seen at his weakest. "We can keep Connor in check," Sixty reassured. "And I think this whole situation is beyond our capabilities really." Feeling so helpless and vulnerable wasn't what Sixty was used to, not in a while. He hated it, hated that they would have to rely on others to help but there wasn't another option really. "Would it be easier if I asked them?" Because if Allen asked, there might be a weird pressure to help their boss and feeling like the team was forced into doing something they didn't really want to.

Allen pulled Sixty a little closer, knowing how upset and anxious he must be. He hated putting his boyfriend in situations like this, but it was just necessary this time. “No, I’ll do it. But if you’d like to be there, or speak with them as well, I think that would be good.” Allen said. He knew the team would be on board - had probably been on board before even being asked - but knew that they had a tendency to be a bit rowdy and bad at words. He didn’t want to risk Sixty getting hurt like that.

"It wouldn't feel right if I wasn't there," Sixty conceded even though he so desperately wanted to never interact with the team again if they realised how truly weak, pathetic and useless he was. Nines nodded along. "Thank you for everything you're doing for this family." It was a quiet acknowledgement that Allen was part of it too.

"We can talk about it later" Allen said, not wanting Sixty to have to make this decision here and now when he was obviously already stressed. They would figure it out together. When Nines complimented him, Allen shot him a small smile and said "It's not much, but I want to do what I can." Gavin snorted, retorting fondly "That's what he says every time. But he's always helping people. It's just what he's good at."

"He's good at other things too!" Sixty piped up, ready to make a sex related quip. Only, it didn't feel as funny now and Nines was giving him a polite look of faux interest. Much more lamely, Sixty finished, "He's good at riding a motorbike."

"I'll be honest," Nines said, "I did not anticipate motorbike there." He was snickering a little but also looking over Sixty with an assessing look, wondering whether he was maturing or just very off kilter.

Gavin barked out a laugh, saying "You can just say he's good at sucking dick, it's fine" Allen snorted and rolled his eyes at that, replying "That's the pot calling the kettle black, Gav. You really don't want to start that kind of finger pointing." There was clearly some precedent for this kind of teasing, as both friends seemed at ease.

It was time to beat a tactical retreat. "Speaking of kettles, can I get anyone a drink? Tea? Coffee?" Sixty offered and Nines' eyebrows shot up.

"You have coffee?"

Blushing, Sixty nodded. "I picked some up on the last shop. Just because I don't drink it doesn't mean I shouldn't have it in the house." A subtle suggestion that Allen was being invited to make it his home too, Sixty was trying to give him more reasons to stay.

“I’ll take a coffee,” Gavin offered, and Allen added in “Me too please.” He smiled at Sixty, knowing full well what this gesture meant. And honestly, he was touched. The fact that his boyfriend was making an effort to remember little things for him like that meant a lot. Allen was going to make sure Sixty knew that, but only once Nines and Gavin were gone. Because he was also making an effort to do things his boyfriend liked, which meant he would be expressing his gratitude in a more sexual way.

This was where Sixty's upbringing came into play in a good way. Despite everything else, he has still grown up in an affluent household. So the coffee he had bought wasn't the instant stuff in a jar. It was freshly ground and he brewed it over the stove while setting out milk in a jug and a little bowl of sugar. Tray set up with three cups and a pot of coffee, he put his own tea on there and walked back into the living room. "Help yourselves, I can brew more if you need."

"Thank you" Allen said, taking the coffee gratefully, "It smells amazing." It did smell so much better than the cheap coffee they usually drank at the station. Gavin seemed to be in agreement as he took a sip and groaned out his thanks. He really needed something warm to calm his nerves, and this was hitting the spot.

Silently, Nines raised an eyebrow as Sixty as he took his coffee. He was both impressed and also soft at just how Sixty tried to indirectly take care of those he loved. "It's coffee," Sixty declared. "The shop assistant said it was good-" he put on a snooty voice, "full of bold flavours and earth aromas. Definitely a strong contender for the best coffee we sell." He had no idea what made coffee good but the others seemed pleased so Sixty assumed his pick was a hit.

Allen laughed at that, admitting "Coffee is one of the most snobby hobbies imaginable. Like fucking wine or craft beer." He took a sip and sighed happily, adding "But damn if good coffee doesn't just taste better." Gavin raised his glass, saying "Amen to that"

Intrigued, Sixty eyed up the mug in Allen's hand. It had been so long since he had tried coffee, maybe his tastes had become more refined as he got older. "I didn't realise wine fucking was a hobby," he mused as he reached for Allen's mug. "I always thought you drink it or cook with it." Nines watched raptly, knowing the outcome of Sixty trying coffee again. He had been there the first five times he'd tried and this time was going to be no different. Sure enough, a sip of the drink had Sixty's face scrunching up, eyes squeezed tight and tongue poking out from between his lips.

“Well now you know the secret best way to enjoy wine” Allen chuckled, going along with the joke as he handed Sixty his mug to take a sip from. He hadn’t realized it was such a big deal that his boyfriend didn’t drink coffee, so he was even more touched now that he had bought some for him. Sixty’s reaction had Allen’s heart melting at how cute it was, and he couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up out of him. “Oh damn, that bad?” He asked, wrapping his hands around the mug again.

"A dash of milk is not enough to have this pass as a drink. Not even a kilo of sugar would make that palatable, I'm sorry." Sixty wiped at his lips and took a big gulp of his fruit tea. "You're all mad for thinking that's a nice drink."

"Funny, I could say the same thing about you," Nines shot back with a snicker. To show off, he took a long, luxurious mouthful of his coffee and settled back against Gavin comfortably.

Allen was just chuckling at Sixty’s little display of petulance over the beverage. “It’s an acquired taste after years spent in the academy.” He chuckled, thinking back to sleepless nights and all nighters made possible by coffee. “Honestly I’m amazed you didn’t pick it up in med school” he commented, taking another sip thoughtfully. Gavin, meanwhile, laughed and leaned up to kiss the coffee off Nines’ lips. “It tastes sweetest like this” he teased.

While in med school, Sixty also had army training to deal with and the fact he had run away from home. Any money he got went on more important things like food and textbooks, coffee was a luxury he simply couldn't afford. Rather than say all that, he took Gavin at face value and turned to kiss the coffee off Allen's lips. "Lies!" He hissed as the taste of coffee hit him again. Nines threw his head back on a cackle, far too entertained by his brother's mock outrage.

Allen was taken totally by surprise as Sixty kissed him, but it was a very good surprise. He'd take more surprises if they were all as nice as this one. He laughed along with Nines and Gavin as Sixty hissed, protesting "What, are my lips not sweet enough for you?"

A firm head shake was Sixty's first response. "Sorry, not even breast milk would sweeten your lips enough to make coffee palatable."

"Gross," Nines snorted. "I don't want to know how you know what breast milk tastes like."

Allen pulled a face, admitting “I don’t want to know but also I’m morbidly curious as to where this story could possibly take us” He wrapped his free arm more firmly around Sixty to hold him close and too another long sip or his coffee to take his mind off the concept of breast milk.

“Didn’t peg you as a tits man, Sixty,” Gavin teased with a mischievous smirk from around Nines.

"I don't know if it's better or worse if I say no tits were involved. One of the girls had a baby and was feeding, had to express the leftovers." Sixty settled back more comfortably and looked at his rapt audience. "Medical school had a lot of weird dares. At least I wasn't the one to lick an eyeball. They're allegedly surprisingly salty."

Shuddering, Nines turned to bury his face in Gavin's shoulder. He could deal with a lot of weird shit at work but that was just a little too far for his stomach. "I regret everything," he announced.

Okay, that was definitely both worse and better than Allen had hoped. Better because it didn't involve Sixty suckling from some woman, worse because it involved licking eyeballs. He groaned and set his cup down, definitely put off of his coffee now. "Thank god you've never licked an eyeball, or I'd have to rethink every one of our makeout sessions," he admitted.

Gavin was just laughing as he held Nines close, remarking "Damn, Sixty! Now I know who the fun brother is!"

Sputtering a little, Sixty nudged Allen. "You are okay with me licking your butthole but draw the line at an eyeball? Those are some strange standards!"

"Oi!" Nines let out an indignant noise. "I am the fun brother! I can prove it!" He pulled his phone out and opened up the photo gallery. "Let's see here, remember the night with the pinata, Gavin?"

“I cleaned it before you did any licking!” Allen protested, “And eating ass is normal! Who do you know that’s licked an eyeball??” It seemed totally baffling to him, because he’d never even  _ considered _ that you could even lick an eyeball.

Gavin was laughing still as Nines got indignant. “Oh my god that was a hell of a night!” He exclaimed, grinning as he leaned in to look at the pictures.

Giggling, Sixty hummed. "Well, I think I know which tastes better." He waggled his eyebrows at Allen then turned his attention to his brother, making grabby hands at the phone.

"Oh no. I don't think you should see these ones," Nines said, clutching his phone to his chest. "Your delicate sensibilities may not survive this." Whining, Sixty turned sad eyes on Nines but it didn't seem to work so he did the next best thing and decided to wrestle Nines for the phone.

Allen had no time to protest before Sixty decided to turn the sofa into a wrestling zone. He really only had the time to set his coffee down on the side table in self defense. Gavin, meanwhile, was very invested in making sure that Sixty  _ did not _ see those pictures, so he let out a startled yelp and also scrambled to put his coffee aside.

The rough and tumble was a great way to release pent up frustration and Sixty relished the way Nines fought back. It was playful but with just enough of an edge to burn off the building anxiety. Even if he ended up pinned by Nines and defeated. "I win!" There had never been any doubt in Nines that he would be the victor. Still, he looked to Gavin for approval even as Sixty squirmed for freedom under him.

Gavin, in all the fuss, grabbed Nines's phone and held it triumphantly away. He didn't want  _ anyone _ seeing those pictures, and especially not Fletch's boyfriend, who could then tell him. "You did great babe!" Gavin crowed triumphantly, while Allen looked on in vague interest in the background. The SWAT team wrestled sometimes, but he still wasn't sure how the Stern brother dynamic went so he was staying out of this.

Finally admitting defeat, Sixty went lax and stopped fighting. Victory acknowledged, Nines sat up and turned to Gavin proudly.

"Just know your boyfriend is a hero."

That had Sixty snorting but he made no move to get up from the floor. There was such a thing as too much excitement and he was close to tipping point. Maybe he could politely kick his brother out.

"A hero by claiming victory on someone smaller. Pick someone your own size next time." Sixty stuck his tongue out to add a more childish edge to his words.

“I know you are” Gavin swooned, “My hero~” he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Nines’ cheek and passed him his phone back. “You know you can tag me in whenever” Allen said with a chuckle, holding out a hand towards his boyfriend. He didn’t really want to get involved in sibling wrestling, but he couldn’t just leave Sixty high and dry like this.

Still a little high from the wrestle, Nines reached out and tapped Allen's hand before Sixty had a chance. "Tag. You're it!"


	69. Chapter 69

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sixty's neighbors may not appreciate it, but the bonding game of tag continues

Allen reacted before he could even stop himself, a sort of automatic response born of his time with the SWAT team. He reached out and punched Nines lightly on the shoulder, just a tap, in retaliation for the hand smack.

Mock gasping, Nines turned and playfully smacked Gavin on the knee. "You're it!" Having learned from his mistake, Nines scrambled away from Gavin, not wanting to be 'it' again.

Gavin let out an indignant “oi!” As he was tagged, catching on quickly to the new game. His head whipped around towards his friend, and Allen was suddenly also scrambling off the sofa in an attempt to evade him.

Like any good brother, Nines shoved Sixty down as he had tried to get up and escape. "Every man for himself!" Nines declared with a cackle.

“Get back here!” Gavin yelled, leaping forward and managing to tackle Allen. They landed in a tangle of limbs on the floor in front of the sofa, both laughing as they tussled with one another.

A grumble from Sixty was lost as he got up and turned, surprised he hadn't been pounced upon. But he caught sight of Gavin tackling Allen and he sat back to watch, just as Nines settled next to him. "This is giving me predator/prey ideas," Nines murmured as he watched. "Take Gavin out into the woods, hunt him down.”

"Just make sure it's not hunting season," Sixty added. He didn't much care for such kinks but if it was Nines' thing, he could at least be supportive.

The game of tag was momentarily lost as Gavin and Allen wrestled on the ground. It was obvious in this moment that they had been friends for far too long, as they immediately resorted to the dumbest means possible of trying to subdue the other. While the brothers were having a discussion of kinks, Allen was trying to put Gavin in a headlock so he could give him a noogie.

"They're worse than us with Connor," Sixty observed. There was no finesse, no technique to the scuffle in front of them. It was quite fun to watch.

"You sure they're not brothers?" Nines asked. "They sure behave like that."

"Then they’re related to the whole SWAT team, and let me tell you, you don't want those guys to be related."

Halfway through subduing Gavin, Allen realized that he hadn't gone for his boyfriend at all. That needed to change. Shoving Gavin, who rolled away with an indignant "Oi!", he scrambled into a crouch and launched himself at Sixty, aiming to tackle him to the ground.

The incoming attack has Sixty screeching, even as his back thunder into the ground. He laughed but made no effort to fight back. It was better to acknowledge when a better person bested him. Well, he didn't exactly give up, he tipped his head back, showing off his piercings and batted his eyelashes.

Allen loomed over Sixty, laughing aloud as he looked down at his boyfriend laid out underneath him. "Oh you saucy little minx" Allen chuckled as he watched Sixty bare his throat and tempt him so obviously. It was a good strategy, and if the others hadn't been there he might have fallen for it. Instead, he slowly lowered himself down and then....blew a big raspberry on Sixty's stomach through his shirt.

The raspberry was most unexpected and Sixty howled as he writhed under it. There was thumping on the wall shared with a neighbour and Sixty immediately fell silent, eyes wide at being caught. With some simplicity, Nines got up, walked to the wall in question and tapped something back that may well have been Morse Code.

Allen barked out a laugh as Nines got up and retaliated immediately to the rude neighbor. It wasn't like they were messing around late at night or anything, so he didn't see why the neighbor chose now of all times to be upset. Surely they'd been louder before during sex. "I guess that's the end of the game" He said with a chuckle, looking down at Sixty.

"End of one game only means the beginning of another." Sixty grinned. "Also, I'm going to have to move, Nines just tapped out 'fuck off'." "I did. So now we shall disappear and let you deal with the fallout," Nines declared and offered Gavin a hand, pulling him into his side.

Gavin hopped up with a grin and pressed into Nines' side. His hair was all ruffled to hell but he felt so much better than he had when they first arrived, the roughhousing helping him blow off some steam. "You're so smart babe, knowing morse code and shit" He praised with a chuckle. "Well damn, maybe you'll have to spend the night at my place for safety's sake" Allen teased, sitting up and swinging off of Sixty so he could sit up if he wanted to.

Sitting up, Sixty beamed st the idea. He did very much want to spend time at his boyfriend's place, especially when it was offered so freely. "Couldn't keep me out even if you tried," he said smugly. "I even have a key!" Nines raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment. Instead, he gently tried to smooth Gavin's hair back into place. "Hot bath when we get home?" He was ready to get home, to spend time with Gavin and hide from the world at large for a bit. And, by the looks of things, the other two wanted much the same. "Thanks for organising this," he said politely. "Let us know how we can help."

Allen smiled as Sixty responded so enthusiastically, feeling really lucky to have gotten to this point with his boyfriend. It meant a lot, that trust they had built through all these rocky pitfalls. Helping Sixty sit up, Allen looked to Nines and replied "Of course. I'll keep you posted, but I won't start until tomorrow." He didn't want to set up any unreasonable expectations from any side. "God, yes please" Gavin murmured at the offer of a hot bath. This had gone better than expected, but he could still feel the stress gathering in his body from all the worry.


	70. Chapter 70

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sixty and Allen make it back to Allen's place, but not without some silliness and a really great kiss first. So, you know, a good evening.
> 
> To see what Gavin and Nines get up to after they leave, head to [Chapter 12 of Stabilizers.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25315246/chapters/70191447)
> 
> **Author's note: We've now reached the end of our backlog for this fic, so updates will slow down from here on out! Socks and I are still happily writing away, but we won't have enough to post twice a week any more. If you've made it to chapter 70 with us, thank you so much for your support! The views, kudos, and comments all make us smile <3 **
> 
> **We're still excited to keep sharing this story with you all, just at a slightly more moderate pace C: See you in the next update!**

With his brother half out the door, Sixty just waved lazily at them, content to keep sitting on the floor. "Remember your floaties!" He called after Nines and got flipped off for it. Once again it was just him and Allen let together. "We really going over to yours?"

“Of course. If you want to, that is.” Allen said with an easy smile. He wouldn’t be offended either way, but he wanted Sixty to be in charge here. He was the one who probably needed an extra boost to feel safe tonight.

"I always feel safer with you." The words slipped out and Sixty stared up at Allen with large eyes. Somehow, feeling vulnerable and open with his boyfriend didn't feel all that terrible. There was no quip on the tip of his to guess to brush the moment under the carpet with scathing humor. "I mean. I would like to go with you."

Allen’s heart skipped a beat and his expression softened into something terribly fond. Reaching out to cup Sixty’s cheek, he murmured “I’m really glad to hear that.” Leaning in and hoping this wouldn’t ruin the moment, Allen pressed a gentle kiss to Sixty’s lips.

The kiss was most welcome and Sixty pressed back into it, eyes slipping shut. It had been a tense meeting even if it had gone well and now he wanted the comfort of his boyfriend in any way he could get it. A hand sneaked up and gripped the back of Allen's neck, keeping him anchored in place as Sixty silently asked for more.

Allen was more than happy to kiss Sixty some more, letting his hands come to rest on his waist. He didn't push for anything too much more passionate or intense, simply enjoying the slow pleasure of kissing his boyfriend without any worries. Really, that felt pretty damn good.

The idea that kissing could be a comforting or reassuring act was still a novelty to Sixty. His mind struggled with the concept of it, body trying to react in a way he didn't actually want for a change. As much as he could, he relaxed into the kiss and tried to let Allen take the lead without turning it dirty or being too demanding.

Allen knew that Sixty turned to sex for comfort, and honestly right now it didn't bother him. He just wanted to wait until they got to his place before they indulged. So he kept the kiss slow and sensual instead of going straight for tongue, resting their foreheads together afterwards to just breathe.

"That was unexpected," Sixty said with a smile. "But nice." He rubbed their noses together to a quirk of his lips. They probably ought to get going soon, if they were to make their way to Allen's place.

"Nice surprises are what we need right now" Allen chuckled, pulling away from Sixty reluctantly. "Shall we head over to my place? Need to grab anything?" He asked, looking around to see if there was anything he could help tidy away.

With all the straight faced seriousness Sixty could muster, he grabbed Allen. "Only you." He lost the battle against a small giggle and batted his eyelashes at his boyfriend. "Let's head out, I think we have a cuddle date with your couch."

Allen barked out a laugh at that, and rewarded Sixty's boldness with a kiss on the cheek and a quick squeeze around the waist. "Now that I feel properly special, let's head for that sofa date" He said, turning to lead Sixty out of the apartment and down to where his bike was parked. Of course he was going to offer his boyfriend a ride on his bike, that just made sense.

The piercings were still quite tender but Sixty pulled the helmet over them and gritted his teeth. As long as Allen drove they would be fine. "I trust you not to break any speed limits in your eagerness to get to the sofa," he laughed and hopped onto the bike.

Still aware of his partner's healing piercings, Allen took the slow road home, even though he very much wanted to speed back to get those cuddles sooner. And maybe some more of those kisses, those had been amazing. "Safe and sound and no speeding tickets!" He announced proudly as they pulled into the driveway of his apartment.

"Well, if you ever wanted to roleplay, I'll give you a ticket," Sixty offered. His smile was lost under the helmet, especially when he realized that putting it on was easier and less painful than pulling it off. After a few delicate attempts he realised it was just going to have to be done. Bracing himself for a burst of pain, Sixty pulled it off.

Allen had to laugh at that, the thought of sexy cop roleplay not really appealing given their jobs. Not really a fantasy to escape into when that was what you were surrounded by. Watching Sixty pull the helmet off had Allen wincing in sympathy. "Oh shit, are you alright?" He asked. There hadn't been much way around it, but he still felt bad.

Forcing a smile, Sixty nodded. "I've had worse." Which was the truth but it didn't lessen the pain he felt that very moment. But it would pass like all other things so he could do his best to ignore it. "You drive nicely.” A compliment would surely change the direction of the conversation and put the focus away from Sixty.

Sensing that Sixty wanted to take his mind off of things, Allen wrapped an arm around his waist and began guiding them into his apartment. "Thanks, I've been doing it for a few years" He chuckled, winking at his boyfriend as he fumbled for his keys.

As Allen fumbled for his keys, Sixty proudly pulled his bunch out. "I've got this!" There was a certain amount of glee in being able to open the door to his boyfriend's house with his own key.

Allen's heart skipped a beat happily as Sixty pulled out his set of keys, and he smiled as he watched his boyfriend unlock the door for them. "Thanks baby" He said simply, standing up on tip toe to press a kiss to his cheek.

A small, happy smile spread over Sixty's lips at the kiss. He froze for a couple of seconds, brain trying to process the emotions and thoughts. "You're welcome?" All he had done was open the door, that didn't really need a thanks. "Lead me to your couch?"

"Of course, what kind of a gentleman do you think I am?" Allen joked, leading Sixty inside and shrugging off his leather jacket and hanging it up along with his helmet. Once they were both ready for snuggles, he flopped them both down onto the sofa, getting comfortable with a sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's note again in case you missed it at the top: We've now reached the end of our backlog for this fic, so updates will slow down from here on out! Socks and I are still happily writing away, but we won't have enough to post twice a week any more. If you've made it to chapter 70 with us, thank you so much for your support! The views, kudos, and comments all make us smile <3 **
> 
> **We're still excited to keep sharing this story with you all, just at a slightly more moderate pace C: See you in the next update!**


	71. Chapter 71

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What better way to transition into the next big plot point than with some good ol' fashioned smut?

Snuggling up to Allen, Sixty sighed. There, in his boyfriend's arms, he felt safe, the world couldn't get to him. "I think you're the kind of gentleman who cuddles his boyfriend and then kisses him," he offered up hopefully.

“Am I really?” Allen teased, but he was already gathering his boyfriend up in his arms, snuggling them together even more closely. Once they were properly entwined he pressed a big grand kiss to Sixty’s cheek. “Like that?”

Humming, Sixty tipped his head to the side as he considered it even as he tried to hide his giggles from Allen's big old kiss. "Almost," he said in the end. "But I think you can do better, aim more carefully with your kiss."

Allen couldn't resist just a  _ little _ bit of teasing. He pulled a face like he was thinking hard, then planted another kiss on Sixty's forehead. "Like that?" He asked with mock innocence, although the twinkle in his eyes betrayed him.

A soft giggle caught in Sixty's throat but his smile was still wide. "I'm not sure. We should test things a bit more." He offered his other cheek for Allen to kiss.

Happy that his boyfriend was playing along, Allen leaned in to press a final kiss on Sixty's cheek. He finished it off with a little nuzzle to the soft skin there, smiling as he pulled back and admitted "I can't resist. You're just so easy to kiss."

"Then do it some more," Sixty demanded, eyes dark with a playful challenge. "I will graciously allow this." To prove his words, he shimmied to get more comfortable and presented himself for more kisses as Allen pleased.

Well, with an offer like that...How was Allen supposed to resist? He gladly leaned in, kissing along Sixty's jaw and down to his neck, mouthing carefully at the soft skin around the piercings.

It was a fine line between tender and painful and Sixty craved more. His mouth opened in a soft sigh, head tipped back in a silent plea. Hands found their way to Allen's hips, just holding for now but ready to tug him even closer as a moment's notice.

Allen took that sound and motion as a definite invitation to keep going. He was careful to avoid actually putting his mouth on the piercings, figuring that wouldn't be sanitary or comfortable right now. But the smooth skin around it? That long soft expanse stretching up the side that Sixty was all but offering him? That was definitely going to be marked up, as Allen dove in with enthusiasm.

Wrapping around Allen, Sixty moaned, pushing up into the kisses. He absolutely wanted to be claimed by his boyfriend in a way the whole world could see. His lips parted around a sharp inhale. "Don't be shy," he urged, legs tightening around his boyfriend's hips. "Want you."

That was enthusiastic consent enough for Allen, who went so far as to bite down gently on the side of Sixty’s throat. Not so hard as to break the skin but definitely hard enough to bruise. His own hips made a tentative attempt to grind upwards, testing the waters of how the mood was developing.

An involuntary twitch of his hips was Sixty's most definite approval of the bite. His hands landed on Allen's backside and pulled him down again, holding their hips close together. "Again," Sixty demanded softly.

Pressed close together as they were now, Allen stopped holding back and shamelessly ground forward against Sixty. Tilting his boyfriend's jaw to find another spot, he left another bite mark, sucking on this one afterwards to raise a harsher bruise to the surface.

A soft, sharp inhale of breath was Sixty's response to that and he pressed his hips up, seeking more pressure. It was bliss, letting his boyfriend mark him up like that while they lazily rocked against each other. "Keep going." It was half a plea, half an order. Sixty wanted to be claimed and marked but he also wanted it on his terms. Adjusting his grip a little, he managed to find a way to pull Allen down against him at the perfect angle, making himself gasp.

Allen didn't mind Sixty using him for pleasure, in fact that was a little bit hot to be used like that. Encouraged to keep going, but quickly running out of neck that wasn't too tender thanks to piercings, Allen's hands came up to begin pulling Sixty's shirt collar aside so he could work downwards a little.

"Fuck it," Sixty groaned and tugged at the hem of his shirt. "Help me strip." He wanted to be naked against his boyfriend and his clothes were suddenly a hindrance that needed to be gone.

Allen couldn't help but chuckle at the sudden switch, but he was very much into that idea. "You don't have to ask me twice" He purred, pulling back slightly so he could take the hem of Sixty's shirt and pull it up and off of him. His hands immediately returned to the now-exposed stretch of skin, running up his boyfriend's stomach and chest, thumb flicking over one nipple playfully.

This was exactly what Sixty had been needing. His boyfriend on too of him, touching him and helping him forget for a precious few minutes about anything but them. "You too?" He asked softly, hands slipping up Allen's back and under this shirt, feeling the warm skin. To add a bit of urgency to the matter, he gently raked his nails down his boyfriend's back.

They were doing it on the sofa then, Allen supposed. He wasn't opposed, it was just a bit of a surprise. But he was beginning to learn to expect the unexpected with Sixty, in all the best ways. "Absolutely" Allen replied, voice trailing off into a groan as those nails scratched at his back. He arched into the touch eagerly, loving the hint of possessiveness behind the gesture.

Location hadn't even been a consideration for Sixty. All he had wanted was his boyfriend close. The fact it seemed to be devolving into sex was a bonus that he appreciated but hadn't planned. Rather than overthink and worry about whether this was what Allen might want, Sixty, wantonly splayed himself out as much as the couch allowed and purred in his throat. "Slowly now, I want to enjoy the show."

Allen felt a shock of heat as Sixty's gaze caught him like that, like he was a particularly fine piece of meat for his boyfriend to enjoy. That was new, and he was loving it. Taking his time, as requested, Allen swayed his hips a little and slowly pulled his shirt off, giving his best strip tease show.

The moment was definitely one Sixty was appreciating. He smiled, eyes roving over Allen's body, lingering over the tattoos. "You're gorgeous." That was his professional opinion. "Inside and out."

Feeling flirty, Allen did a little turn and sauntered slowly towards Sixty. “Even in moments like This you’re still so sweet” he said, looking down at his boyfriend. A rare occurrence, honestly.

Sixty didn't think he would ever enjoy being stared down at from a height. But the way Allen was doing it made him relax and actually enjoy the attention without feeling scrutinised. "I can be sweeter still, you just need to taste me." He winked for the full effect.

Chuckling at the cheesy pickup line, Allen nevertheless didn't waste any time in leaning down to press their lips together. Pulling away from the kiss, he pretended to consider as he settled himself back on Sixty's lap, eventually declaring. "Nice and sweet, just like I thought."

"A second sample as control is always recommended," Sixty grinned. "Best make it a scientific study. I'll help you write up the paper if you'd like." The sweet talk was rapidly veering into bizarre and Sixty tried to fathom how he could rescue the situation. He didn't really want to be thinking about writing up medical papers. All he wanted was his boyfriend.(edited)

This time, Allen wasn't going to let Sixty's strange tangents get the better of him. He was going to focus on his boyfriend's pleasure and make sure they both got to where they were headed. And that meant not trying to figure out wether or not they could turn research writing into something sexy. He leaned down and cupped Sixty's chin in his hand and kissed him again, this time nipping at his bottom lip to try and get him to open up.

Giving control over to his boyfriend was much easier and Sixty decided that kissing was a better thing than babbling. Though he did have thoughts of surprising Allen by wearing nothing but a lab coat one day. Mind wandering again, Sixty forcibly pulled himself back into the moment and playfully nipped back, taunting his boyfriend.

Allen certainly wasn’t against a little bit of role play, but only if they came up with it beforehand. Otherwise, they ran the risk of Sixty getting caught up in his own head and losing the mood. A chuckle rumbled its way out of Allen as Sixty bit back, appreciating that playful spirit. To retaliate, he licked along his boyfriend’s bottom lip, asking for entry this time instead of demanding it.

Such a sweet request could only be fulfilled. Sixty parted his lips and let his tongue dart out, nudging against Allen's in a challenge. Just because he was letting his boyfriend make out with him didn't mean he was going to submit very easily. No, given his current mood, Sixty wanted Allen to work for him.

Allen expected nothing less than a bit of a fight from Sixty - he was a fighter, after all, and that's part of what made him so damn sexy. Setting his hands on his boyfriend's shoulders to anchor himself, he nudged right back, pushing forward to try and overtake Sixty and claim his mouth for a kiss.

The hands felt like they were pinning him and Sixty growled low in his throat. Legs wrapping around Allen, he held his boyfriend tight against him. This wasn't a fight to get away after all. "Got you," he purred between kisses, still more teeth than lips and tongue. His boyfriend could damn well work for his kisses.

Feeling a thrill of arousal and boldness, Allen used the new closeness brought on by Sixty to grind against him. They were both starting to get hard already, a development that was not surprising at all but extremely satisfying. "Do you?" Allen teased right back, voice low and rough around the edges as he fought right back for dominance in the kiss.

"Right where I want you." Sixty pressed up against Allen, chasing the pressure and pleasure. "What you going to do about it?" He raked his nails down Allen's back again right as he licked against his boyfriend's lips, hoping to elicit a gasp which would mean he could get into his mouth.

Allen all but purred when Sixty scratched at him, arching upward to press into the pressure. He knew that Sixty was looking to push into his mouth, and he decided to allow that, parting his lips in welcome.

The submission was unexpected but so very welcome. Sixty seized the opportunity, licking into Allen's mouth with unrefined enthusiasm. All the worries and stresses were being pushed far away as he turned his full attention to Allen and their impromptu making out.

Sixty leaving his stress and troubles behind was  _ exactly _ what Allen wanted. And if he also maybe wanted to be pushed around a little bit and have his boyfriend praise him for it, that was his prerogative. He moaned softly as he was kissed, thoroughly enjoying himself even though he wasn't fighting any more.

Though Allen was on top of him, it didn't mean he was in control. Breaking away from the kiss to keep his boyfriend wanting, Sixty purred in his throat. "I'll be generous and let you do the hard work." He smiled and nipped at Allen's jaw. "Make us feel good, won't you darling?"

Allen chuckled, low and deep, as he pulled away to look down at Sixty. "Very generous" He teased, but he couldn't just resist the offer of such a willing, wonderful body beneath him. Untangling himself from his boyfriend with some regret, he sank down to his knees and pulled Sixty closer to the edge of the sofa.

Not at all what Sixty was expecting, he allowed himself to be moved around while his brain caught up with what was going on. As he continued on, he grinned. "Oh you are good, aren't you? Spoiling me rotten." Leabing down, he tipped Allen's chin up with a finger for a short kiss. "Such good behaviour ought to be rewarded."

"You're certainly throwing out the generous gifts left and right" Allen chuckled as they parted from the kiss. He liked this teasing side of Sixty, and he was in the right mood to just play along. "Let's talk about my reward after I've finished with you, hm?" He purred, hands coming to open up Sixty's pants and free his cock.

"Who says my cock isn't a gift and your reward?" Sixty tessed with a snicker. "I mean, it is pretty impressive." The insecure "right?" was just about bitten back and Sixty spread his legs in invitation instead, giving Allen more room to work in.

"Getting you in my mouth is going to be a reward alright" Allen agreed easily, settling into a comfortable position and sliding the tip of Sixty's cock into his mouth. He took a moment to lavish some attention there, licking and sucking gently at the head.

Rather than reply, Sixty allowed himself to close his eyes and enjoy the sensations. He loved how Allen used not just his lips and throat but his tongue too, wringing exotic pleasure from Sixty that he didn't even know he could feel. "You're good. Keep that up darling," he praised, a hand in Allen's hair, anchoring them both.

The praise and the hair pulling had Allen groaning in pleasure. That felt  _ good _ and he hoped Sixty kept doing it. To encourage that behavior, Allen took more of Sixty into his mouth, letting the shaft sit fully on his tongue as he groaned again for effect.

Head tipping back with a silent moan, Sixty closed his eyes, focusing on the pleasure. Not thinking too much, he stroked through Allen's hair, encouraging him to keep going. "You want to keep me warm and hard on your tongue? Draw it out?" Sixty rumbled as he looked back down at his boyfriend. "Have you so sweet and well behaved just for me."

Allen hadn't really considered that this might turn into cockwarming, but he wasn't  _ opposed _ to that, per se. He knew Sixty quite liked denial, so maybe that would be good for him. Looking up at his boyfriend with questioning eyes, he tilted his head just a little bit as if to ask if he was serious. Allen was comfortable enough on the floor, he wouldn't mind sitting for a little bit.

"Only what you're comfortable with, darling," Sixty said as Allen gave him a look. "I'm happy with whatever you decide to give." Because despite his seemingly dominant position, the whole thing was controlled by Allen and what he wanted.

Allen weighed his options and decided that maybe tonight he could try something new. Settling in a little more comfortably, he relaxed his jaw and looked up at Sixty through his lashes, turning up the charm just a little bit.

It was a bit of a surprise twist but Sixty rolled with it. He cooed as he cupped Allen's cheek. "Beautiful." Sixty wanted to savour the moment. "You know exactly how to make me feel good, don't you? My perfect boyfriend."

Allen couldn't help but moan softly at how Sixty was praising him. It felt good to be praised, to know that he was making Sixty feel good. This was all a weird mix of dominant and submissive roles, but he was into it.

Relaxing into the moment, Sixty watched Allen with a fond smile. "I wish I knew what I did right to mean I get to keep you. I am certainly very lucky to be able to call you mine." Settling back against the sofa, Sixty sighed and closed his eyes, content to enjoy the moment, hand carding through Allen's hair.

Well this was a lot more sappy than Allen had expected the evening to turn. He wasn't necessarily sure when the mood had turned, or how it had turned while he had his boyfriends  _ cock _ in his mouth, but it wasn't bad per se. Happy to watch Sixty enjoying himself, Allen stayed still, his only movements the occasional shift to keep his knees comfortable, and a quiet swallow once in a while to make sure he didn't start drooling or something equally as embarrassing.

It was more peaceful than Sixty could have anticipated. Having Allen by his feet, mouth warm around his cock without the pressure of anything more was quite fantastic and not something he'd ever imagined. Sitting with his hand in Allen's hair, Sixty drew it out as long as possible but he was only human and he had needs. Sooner than he would have liked, he was shifting in his seat, softly seeking more friction and pleasure.

Allen found that he sort of...zoned out in a way that was new but not unpleasant. It was nice to just sit and focus on the feeling of Sixty on his tongue and those gentle fingers in his hair. It was just him and his boyfriend and the gentle thrum of his own arousal, which had faded to almost a background concern at this point. When Sixty began to move, Allen had to blink his way back to reality, looking up and realizing that the time for drawing this out had ended. To see if he was correct in his assumption, he made a tentative bobbing motion with his head, testing the waters.

A groan escaped Sixty at the way Allen started to move. Pleasure had been slowly building up without any real notice and now it almost burned. He moved as his boyfriend did, seeking more. "Please baby," he moaned. "Be good for me. Let me come." On or in Allen, he didn't care. As long as he could get off, Sixty was happy. Maybe it was selfish but he would help Allen out once he got his own pleasure out of the way and could think more clearly.

Allen saw no reason not to let Sixty come right now, redoubling his efforts to give him pleasure. He shifted up onto his knees more and took Sixty further into his mouth, letting the head of his cock bump up against the back of his throat. He hoped it was obvious that he wanted his boyfriend to come in his mouth, but if not he'd just have to make sure Sixty came before he pulled out.

The burning need to come was rapidly overwhelming Sixty. His head fell back, jaw slack as harsh breaths grasped out of his throat. Silent as ever, he trembled, the hand on the back of Allen's head flexing before finally he came, doubling over with a low groan.

Allen couldn't help himself - Sixty sounded so pretty, he pressed one hand between his legs and began to grind against it as he finished working his boyfriend through his orgasm. Hearing and feeling Sixty fall apart like this was just as heady as it had been that first time underneath his desk in the morgue, and Allen loved it. He made a real effort not to make too much of a mess, working Sixty through the last of the aftershocks before pulling back and licking his lips. That was when it hit him just how much his jaw ached, which was an unforseen consequence.

Still on a bit of a high from his climax, Sixty leaned down, both hands cupping Allen's jaw and he kissed him. The taste of come had him pulling back pretty quickly though his hands stayed in place. "Can I help you out?" he asked, eyes flitting to where Allen's hand was pressed between his legs.

Allen chuckled as Sixty recoiled, offering in a somewhat raspy voice, "I can go rinse my mouth if you'd like." He liked kissing while they had sex, so he was eager to solve any problem that got in the way of that. "Yes please" He groaned softly as he bucked his hips up against his palm, enjoying the friction but wanting more.

Nodding in agreement, Sixty let his boyfriend go and settled back on the sofa. "Go rinse your mouth and have a think about what you would like." He was feeling very generous, his boyfriend could ask for anything and he would get it.

Getting to his feet slowly, Allen patted Sixty on the knee and headed to the bathroom, walking as naturally as he could manage. Sixty had said he should think about what he wanted, but there were so many things he wanted that it was hard to focus on just one. He rinsed his mouth and made his way back to his boyfriend in a little bit of a daze.

"Well handsome?" Sixty sprawled on the sofa in invitation. "Have you thought about what reward you'd like my love?" He had managed to get himself a little more together and was willing to do whatever Allen was going to ask for.

What Allen really wanted was to get properly railed over the arm of the sofa, but that wasn't about to happen. Instead, he shuffled closer and admired how tempting his boyfriend looked right now. "Would you...finger me while you jerk me off?" He asked, all of his fancy words disappearing in the haze of lust.

It was absolutely something Sixty could do. He reached for Allen, tugging him into his lap to kiss up his neck. "Anything you ask for darling. Why don't we grab the lube?" They could get comfortable on the bed or get back to the sofa thet way. And if Allen wanted to snag a toy to go with the lube, that was an option too.

"As long as we get to that lube soon" Allen said with a breathy chuckle, tilting his head to allow Sixty access to his neck fully before he pulled away again. He was feeling a little needy now, wanting to be filled up, and that made the prospect of lazy makeouts right this second seem a little less important.

Slyly, Sixty blinked innocently at Allen. "But you're the one pinning me to the couch. You're the one who is delaying the lube retrieval." He was absolutely riling Allen up and delighting in it.

Allen growled as he realized Sixty was teasing him, but there was no real heat to it. Pulling back and straightening up off the couch he huffed and looked down at his boyfriend. "Are you expecting me to go and fetch it for you?" He asked with a teasing raise to his eyebrow.

"You want to be my puppy?" Sixty shot back, standing to follow Allen. "I could collar and muzzle you if you ask nicely." That was an image he hadn't entertained before and Sixty thought he quite liked it. Allen, naked, settled on a pillow by his feet, a leash held loosely between fingers. Collar, maybe a muzzle too too. Sixty had to think hard about what kind of tail Allen would have - he didn't seem like the big fluffy kind.

Huh. The idea of a collar and a muzzle wasn't one that had Allen immediately perking up, but it didn't disgust him in any way. Sort of a neutral possibility really. "Let's talk about that later" He said with a lopsided grin as they started heading for the bedroom, "When my dick doesn't feel like it's gonna explode if I don't get out of these jeans."

There was such a simple solution to that. Sixty snickered. "Then get out of your jeans." He walked to the bedside table and grabbed the lube, holding it aloft proudly. "Now, did you want my fingers or do you want to pick out a toy?"

Allen rolled his eyes, but he did in fact shimmy out of his jeans as quickly as possible. Not like there was any downside to walking around the apartment naked, and that meant he could finally take himself in hand with a low groan of pleasure. The thought of a toy hadn't even occurred to Allen, and his face lit up with interest. "A toy please" He said, eager to try that out.

Opening the drawer, Sixty crooned. "Oho! What have we here?" He pulled a nice looking dildo from the drawer along with a fresh bottle of lube. "Has someone been having fun?" He was utterly delighted that Allen seemed to be expanding his horizons so to speak. Something about being the influence to encourage that filled Sixty with a swell of joy.

In the heat of the moment, Allen had forgotten about his recent purchase. His cheeks heated up as he watched Sixty triumphantly hold it up, even though it wasn’t really anything to be ashamed of. More that he had been too busy to use it yet. “Not yet. I bought it but haven’t been able to try it out yet” he admitted.

"It will bean honour to try it with you," Sixty replied and walked towards the bed. "On your back, I want to see you take your toy for the first time." It was a nice choice for a first toy, Sixty approved. Settling on the bed, he patted the spot next to him expectantly.

Allen nodded, feeling a thrill of excitement and also of nervousness. He wasn't exactly an expert with toys, but he trusted Sixty to not let him mess this up. Settling on the bed, he kissed Sixty one last time before laying back and spreading his legs open, presenting himself.

His boyfriend truly was stunning. Sixty took a moment to admire Allen before scooting into position and running a hand up his thigh. "I love how eager you are for me. Going to make you feel so good." Wasting no time, Sixty spread lube on his fingers and made sure it was vaguely warm before pressing against Allen's hole, keeping it to one finger for now.

Allen saw no reason to play coy now, not when he was already hard and wanting and his boyfriend was right there. Sixty had never made him feel bad in the bedroom anyways. Like now, when he made sure his fingers were warm before pressing one inside. He sighed happily, the stretch nowhere near challenging. But he really wanted to encourage Sixty to do more foreplay, and why not lead by example?

"Beautiful," Sixty purred, pushing a second finger in eagerly, wanting to watch Allen writhe in pleasure. "You take my fingers so easily." Eyes flicking between Allen's face and his fingers, Sixty slowly spread his boyfriend wide, working him just open enough to be able to take the toy and enjoy the stretch of it.

Allen let his head fall back against the headboard and enjoyed the feeling of those clever fingers stretching him open. This was what he liked - a nice slow buildup of foreplay, savoring the way it went straight to his cock every time Sixty scissored his fingers. He made no effort to smother the soft whimpers and groans of pleasure that fell from his lips as his boyfriend prepared him.

Enraptured with the noises Allen made, Sixty took his time, working his fingers deeper, crooking them just so, hoping to get something louder out of his boyfriend. Not that it was a clinical fascination that he had, no, Sixty was utterly in the moment, wanting to wring every little bit of pleasure from Allen the only way he knew. Slicking up the toy, Sixty didn't give Allen much of a chance to think about what was going on before he pushed it in, aiming for one long, slow press until the base was flush against skin.

It took a few tries, but eventually Sixty managed to angle his fingers just right to get Allen moaning loudly, eyes screwed up in pleasure. And just as he was recovering from that, the toy was suddenly being inserted - slower than Sixty probably would have asked for but faster than Allen probably would have gone. His hips twitched this way and that and his feet pushed against the sheets, breath coming a little harder and faster.

Spare hand on Allen's hip, Sixty tried to still him, just until the toy was in. When that didn't quite work, he did the next best thing and wrapped his lips around Allen's cock. It did make praise a lot more difficult but Sixty was nothing if not creative. The hand from Allen's hip moved to stroke over his stomach and chest, seeking out a nipple to scrape a nail over.

Allen let out a choked off cry of Sixty's name as he was suddenly awash with pleasure. There were so many competing sensations that he wasn't sure where to focus, his hands balling up on the sheets as he did his best to just hold on.

The sharp, overly salty taste of precome had Sixty pulling back rapidly, trying very hard not to ruin the mood. He pressed the toy deeper into Allen, grinding it upwards in small circles. "You're pretty like this," he purred. "All strung out just for me. I could keep you like this forever."

Allen was too lost in his own head to notice Sixty getting grossed out by the precome. Even if he had, he wouldn't have been offended. More that he would have offered to put on a condom if it would make his boyfriend more comfortable. As it was, he was totally focused on the way the toy was grinding into him, filling him up perfectly. Little curses slipped from his lips, and he managed to mumble out "Not gonna last anywhere close to forever. Not like this."

Temptation to just stop and bring Allen back from the edge was strong. But they hadn't really talked about delay or denial play so Sixty didn't indulge - for now. Instead he worked a hand over Allen's spit slicked cock while toying with the dildo. "Take what you need, I'm not stopping you," he purred, watching his boyfriend with adoration.

Allen would be lying if he had said he wasn't even a little bit embarrassed at coming so fast. But embarrassed or not, the feeling of the dildo filling him up while Sixty jacked him off was too strong, and it wasn't too long until he was tensing as he spilled all over his own stomach and his boyfriend's hand. He groaned as he came, hips working in little jerks to try and push down against the dildo in just the right way.

"Gorgeous," Sixty murmured, gentling his motions but not stopping. He was determined to wring every last spike of pleasure from Allen. "You're beautiful when you come. So unabashedly you in your pleasure."

Allen had never been ashamed of a good orgasm, so he definitely didn't hold back. The way Sixty kept moving everything had the pleasure lasting deliciously longer, until Allen finally got to the point where he was starting to feel  _ too _ full in a less than pleasant way.

As soon as the pleasure seemed to tip into too much, Sixty backed off. He still kept hold of Allen but he stopped moving. "You alrigh?" He asked softly, leaning to peer at his boyfriend's face, checking for any changes in his expression.

Allen caught his breath, slowly opening his eyes (when had he screwed them shut?) and fixing Sixty with a dopey grin. "More than alright" He confirmed, glad that his boyfriend had given him a reprieve to recover in.

That smile meant more to Sixty than the orgasm somehow and he beamed back just as dopey. Slowly, he let Allen's cock go so he could lean down and kiss him, there knocking into lips from there he was still smiling. "You're too good to me, indulging me like this," he murmured. "Makes me want to keep you happy and blissful in my bed forever."

It was definitely an awkward kiss, but Allen set a hand on the back of Sixty's neck to keep him close. He wanted that closeness, wanted to feel Sixty in his space as he basked in this feeling. "If I could, I'd stay and be your prized bed warmer" He chuckled, but beneath the teasing was a definite undercurrent of fondness - Allen meant it, if he could just stay with Sixty all day and all night, he would.

If only that was in the realms of reality. Sixty happily kissed Allen while slowly easing the toy free. "A great choice of toy. Compliments to your teacher." He was playfully teasing again, poking fun at Allen and himself.

Allen huffed out a laugh, saying "If I pass on any more compliments, your head will puff up so much you won't be able to fit in the bed with me." He couldn't deny the fact that Sixty had been a fantastic teacher though, so he pulled Sixty back for another kiss. "Really though, you've widened my horizons a lot."

There was a lot more than horizons to be widened but Sixty held back on the joke. They had to get cleaned up and there were cuddles that Sixty was going to demand. As much as everything had been stressful, there was still some good in life to be enjoyed.


	72. Chapter 72

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New evidence comes to light that may actually help the case!

After that family meeting things seemed to settle down again. Nothing happened, no great lightning bolt had struck any of them down. Sixty could almost forget that they were now playing a waiting game.

Allen couldn't forget quite as much as his boyfriend, because he was still actively involved in the investigation, but he was glad to bear that burden. He wasn't as affected as his boyfriend, so he could get work done on contacting people and digging through records without having a panic attack. His team was also hard at work, having all volunteered for the work without much hesitation. Allen was just packing up to leave for the evening and head back to Sixty's apartment when Scott came in looking like the cat that got the cream. "You're gonna love this one boss"

Usually Allen was home like clockwork. So, when time allowed, Sixty liked to have dinner on the go and ready for as soon as possible. It was nice, to be able to feel so domestic for the first time in his life. The time Allen would usually get home came and went. Sixty tried not to panic, maybe there was a traffic jam or something held him up at work. Nerves were getting the better of Sixty and he worried his lip, holding back on calling Allen like some mother hen. It didn't stop him from checking the news and searching for what the holdup could be.

Allen was so caught up in what Scott had brought him that he didn't even think to text Sixty that he was going to be late. Instead he just burst into the apartment half an hour later than expected, grinning and holding up a file triumphantly. "Babe, you're never going to believe what we found!" He exclaimed.

The fear of the last half an hour morphed into anger when Allen finally deigned to appear. However, that fell away in the face of his enthusiasm. "I'm going to guess it's not an apology for scaring me shitless," Sixty quipped.

Allen paused, not having even  _ considered _ that being late without a warning could leave Sixty feeling scared and upset. He shot his boyfriend an apologetic half smile, crossing over to wrap him up in a gentle hug. "I'm sorry, I got caught up at work. But I promise it was worth it." He said, pressing a kiss to Sixty's cheek.

"Caught the bad guy again, did you?" Sixty tried to put a positive spin on it, wanted to tease Allen so it would trivialise his fear into something silly. Of course his boyfriend got caught up in work and it wasn't Elijah paying him a visit. That was just Sixty overreacting.

“No, but we made a huge leap forward towards putting Kamski behind bars. Or at least behind a restraining order.” Allen said, hoping Sixty would take the news well. “We can talk about it after dinner if you want, I don’t want it to get even colder.” He offered, feeling bad that he’d been so late.

The world stuttered along with Sixty's breath. He hadn't anticipated anything coming of their investigation really. Connor was still looking through the old videos, hoping to find something. The fact someone else had found something was big. "It's been keeping warm in the oven," he said dumbly, mind still reeling. "Want me to serve?" He was going through the motions already even if his mind hadn't caught up yet. This was big, it meant something might change. But whether for better or worse was yet to be seen.

Unsure of whether or not this was a good reaction or not, Allen nodded. Better to stay the course and try to maintain normalcy to give Sixty time to process, or at least he hoped so. "Let me take my jacket off and I'll join you in the kitchen" He agreed, giving Sixty one last kiss to the cheek.

Dismissed, Sixty followed the orders and returned to the kitchen. He needed to breathe. It was going to be fine. On autopilot he plated up some food, got cutlery and drinks. Everything was ready for Allen.

Taking off his jacket and setting aside his work files, Allen made sure that he looked as calm and reassuring as possible before returning to the kitchen. "It looks great" He commented as he stepped in and saw dinner, which was a genuine compliment. It still blew him away that Sixty would prepare dinner for them like this, in a truly domestic turn of events.

"You look great." Sixty was falling back onto old coping mechanisms. If unsure either flirt or snark out of the situation. As he didn't want to hurt Allen, flirting it was. "I shouldn't have bothered cooking because you're the real snack here."

Allen just chuckled fondly and shook his head. “You’re quite the snack yourself, but we need some fuel before we do that kind of eating.” he teased as he began to dig into his meal. He was hungry after a long day of work, and there was no sense in taking on this difficult news on an empty stomach.

Food untouched in front of him, Sixty couldn't hold it back anymore. "What did you find?" His mind was going wild with potential but nothing made much sense. There was nothing for it, he was going to have to wait until Allen was kind enough to share the information.

Allen wasn't surprised that Sixty couldn't wait any longer, and he certainly hadn't wanted to draw this out for the sake of torturing his boyfriend somehow. He just hadn't wanted to dump it all on Sixty at once on an empty stomach. When asked point blank though, Allen would answer. "I didn't actually find it, Scott did. But he dug up three different reports from your schools to Child Protective Services that were hushed up by Kamski." He explained.

Food forgotten, Sixty propped his elbow on the table and hid his face in his hands as relief had him crying. They hadn't made it up. Over the years he had been worried that maybe they were remembering it wrong, that Kamski wasn't as terrible and they were just terrible people. But there was proof now. The schools had seen the problem, had tried to intervene. "Thank you," he managed to force out between silent sobs.

Allen's heart squeezed as Sixty immediately began to sob at the dinner table. Food forgotten, he got up and rounded the table to wrap his arms around his boyfriend from behind, trying to offer some comfort. He didn't know exactly why Sixty was thanking him, but he murmured in return "We all want you to be free of this. All of you."

Leaning into the comfort of his boyfriend, Sixty tried not to cry so hard. "I didn't think anyone would believe us." He finally managed to whisper. "Maybe we'd even embellished how shit it was. Thought we were frauds."

Allen didn't try to shush Sixty or dissuade him from crying, just held him close as he sobbed. "Even though I wish it wasn't true, it was. It did happen, and you aren't liars, or frauds." Allen confirmed gently, "It happened, and there's proof. And we're going to make him pay for it."

They could make Kamski pay. The relief of it was making Sixty dizzy. Or maybe it was the lack of oxygen because he was struggling to remember how to breathe. So hw clutched at Allen, needing him to be the stable thing to cling to while the rest of Sixty's world tried to stop wobbling so dangerously.

Allen could hear Sixty fighting to draw breath, and that was concerning. Holding him steady but not too tightly, he said slowly and calmly, "Breath with me darling. Just like this." Taking slow, measured breaths, Allen tried his best to offer Sixty something to match.

Doing his best to match Allen's even breaths, Sixty curled into his boyfriend. After all the years of fear, of always looking over his shoulder, an end was in sight. "Thank you," he whispered again. The words didn't feel like enough but, short of sex, Sixty didn't know how else to show his boyfriend how grateful he was. Not just for the news that they had dirt on Kamski but got standing by him through all of this. For helping his family. For believing in them even when they had done nothing but antagonize and frustrate.

Allen just kept breathing and holding Sixty close until he seemed to recover slightly, getting enough air to speak again. He smiled in relief, glad that his boyfriend wasn’t going to hyperventilate or have a panic attack or something. He was still learning to handle those. “We’ll get through this together” he reassured, “Promise.”

Tipping their foreheads together, Sixty offered a watery smile. He loved Allen with his whole being and the realisation didn't scare him. "We will," he replied. "Thanks to you."

Allen cupped Sixty’s face in his hands, thumbs running along his cheekbones. He smiled right back, replying “Not Just me. Lots of people are helping. Gavin, Hank...the team. They all want to help finish this.”

It was a marvel, how many people were fighting for Sixty and his brothers. Never before had he felt so supported and he didn't know what to do about it. Sending thank you cards didn't seem like the right thing. "I don't think I know how to deal with that. We've not had help like this before." The admission hurt but Sixty could be honest with Allen, could trust him not to mock or use the information against him. The tiniest glimmer of smile tugged at Sixty's lips. "We should eat. I didn't mean to so rudely interrupt our evening, sorry."

Thinking that they'd been so alone for so long broke Allen's heart, but he didn't say that. Now wasn't the time to dwell on the past, when things had been terrible. They needed to focus on the future, when things could maybe become less terrible. Pressing a kiss to Sixty's forehead, Allen smiled. "No need to apologize. The food will taste just as good now." He reassured. Stepping back, he went back to his seat and sat down, ready to give dinner another try.

Eating needed focus which Sixty struggled to have. His mind kept drifting to potential outcomes, mostly trying to stick to the optimistic ones where they actually achieved some kind of change. "What do we do next? Find a lawyer?" He actually had no idea what the next step was, had never dared even think about such things.

Allen, in contrast, was genuinely enjoying his dinner. But he was happy to talk this over as he ate, because clearly it was important to Sixty that they discuss this thoroughly as soon as possible. "I think finding a lawyer should be our next step, yes. Because they'll be able to advise us on whether or not we have a case that's strong enough yet." He explained. There was always the possibility that they'd need to collect more evidence still.

Where they would even go about finding a lawyer was a whole different matter. Sixty wracked his brains to think of someone. Maybe Connor or Nines knew someone, they tended to work more closely with lawyers than Sixty himself. "Don't suppose anyone on your team might know someone?" Because it was better to try and find a known quantity who wasn't easily swayed by Kamski's money and charms.

"I have a few potential lawyers in mind" Allen said, nodding. He had worked on SWAT for enough years to come into contact with his fair share of legal battles, and thus lawyers. But it wasn't a world he was super comfortable in. "Think your brothers might know anyone? I'll ask my team too, but the more options, the better." He said.

"They might. They work with lawyers more than I do." Sixty was eating on autopilot, mind too invested and busy with everything else to notice much about dinner. "I don't really work a lot with lawyers. None with the specialities we'd need for sure." He smiled wryly. "Unless we take Kamski out more permanently and less legally."

Allen chuckled, retorting "I thought we took assassination off the table at the start. Otherwise this would have been a much easier process." Obviously, he was teasing, but with the skillsets of his team, murder would have definitely been a quicker method than all this legal stuff.

That was a shame and Sixty snorted. "I wish I could go back and tell past us that murder is okay. It would certainly have saved a lot of time." His plate slowly emptied and, by the end, he could taste the food again. Having a full stomach most certainly helped. "So, do we get everyone together again to pool lawyer ideas?"

Allen similarly emptied his plate, but with more enjoyment along the way. It was good food, especially since it had been cooked for him. "I dunno, it might be difficult to get everyone's schedule matching...Also, do you want your brothers to meet the team?" Allen asked. This was a real concern that had just occurred to him - he couldn't exactly imagine Connor getting along well with his little ragtag band.

The thought of Connor with the team had Sixty shaking his head. That was just an invitation for disaster and maybe even murder. "Nope. Best keep them separate. We want Kamski behind bars, not the team or my family."

Allen chuckled, relieved that Sixty realized the danger as well. "We'll keep the meeting long-distance then, just text or call people to gather information on lawyers." He decided, "Because yeah, I really don't want Connor getting into a fistfight. Or god forbid, Scott trying to hit on someone."

"Let's face it, I would be the one Connor got into a fist fight with." He hummed thoughtfully. "And if Scott hit on Gavin, Nines might invite him for a threesome." That was a mental image he could really do without. Screwing up his face, he shook his head. "Did not want to think about that!"

Allen couldn't help it, he laughed at that mental image. "Look, there's a solid chance he and Gavin have slept together before at some point, so I can see that happening" He said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Don't worry, we'll keep them all apart. We'll have to maybe meet in small groups to discuss legal strategy, but that will be once we have a lawyer."

Keeping everyone apart was the best course of action, Sixty could agree. He finished off his plate and marvelled at the fact his panic hadn't sent him into one of his episodes, nor was he trying to climb Allen like a tree for distraction. It felt weird but not necessarily in a bad way. "Sounds like a plan." His words were accompanied by a small, genuine smile shot towards his boyfriend. This was okay, they could do it.

Seeing that Sixty seemed so calm had Allen mentally congratulating himself and his boyfriend on a job well done. They had both handled that as well as possible - only a little bit of crying. "Want to snuggle up on the sofa and watch a movie?" He offered, feeling like they both deserved a mundane quiet night in.

"Yes please. Something silly and fun?" Sixty was already standing up and grabbing their plates to tidy away. Really, he was more interested in the snuggle portion of the suggestion than the film itself but he wouldn't really admit to that. "Shall I grab some ice cream or popcorn?"

"Absolutely." Allen agreed with a smile, "I'm thinking romcom." Whenever he needed to turn his brain off and just feel good, Allen could always turn to a good romcom. "Popcorn sounds great" He said, ambling out into the living room to start gathering blankets for the snuggle session, "Maybe ice cream later?" He didn't want the pressure of having to eat right away.

Popcorn it was. Sixty cleared the table and pulled out a bowl to pour the popcorn into. Eager to return, he found himself on the sofa, throw at the ready to snuggle in. "Wait. Way too many clothes for this to be comfortable." With the greatest of ease, he stood up and shed his jeans, staying in a tshirt and underwear. "Join me?"

Allen didn't have to be asked twice. He gladly stripped down to just his comfortable boxers and t-shirt, and snuggled up with his boyfriend, ready for a good cuddle session. 

That night would stick with him as a pleasant memory when things got busy in the next few days, and they didn't always have the time or energy for nice movie nights together. Because things were coming together now, and the pace had picked up. 

They'd managed to find a lawyer that looked promising, and today was their first meeting with him. Well, by 'they' in this case, Allen meant him and Nines. He had asked that particular Stern brother to meet him because he was the most level-headed and experienced in this arena, and Allen hoped that together they could get a good idea of what this case was going to be like.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Any and all kudos and comments are loved and cherished <3 
> 
> You can find [Bready](https://ohnomybreadsticks.tumblr.com/) and [Socks](https://connorssock.tumblr.com/) both on tumblr!


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